The Black Rose
by PinkStarz
Summary: A forbidden love between Princess Mai and Joey results in Serenity having to pose as the princess in an attempt to save both lives. AU SetoxSerenity
1. The Spell

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The Black Rose

A forbidden love between Princess Mai and Joey results in Serenity having to pose as the princess in an attempt to save both lives. (AU -SetoxSerenity)

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(Disclaimer: Have I mentioned that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh?)

(a/n: As this is AU, it's not set in a particular time period or place.)

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One -The Spell

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"It's not fair..."

Serenity Wheeler paused for a moment from flinging gowns and dresses from her wardrobe. On her bed lay the clothing in a spectrum of color and lace. The material was shoddy and at the hem of nearly every dress, dirt was visible. Her family was poor, but it didn't bother her. Riches were something she had never even seen, so there was no point in pining over it. She had hoped that by dumping the contents of her wardrobe in anger, her brother would reconsider his decision. However, it was to no avail. Her brother was as stubborn as a mule, among other things. 

"Seren, don't be angry. I'll be back before you know it," her brother soothed, leaning against the doorway of her room. 

"But I don't like the idea--"

"I know."

The situation was ludicrous, yet outrageously typical. The peasant boy. The runaway princess. An evil wizard. A spell. The rift. And a mission.

As much as Serenity hated the thought of her brother risking his life, she knew he had no choice. His eternal love, Princess Mai Dauphine Valentine, had been cast into a spell of deep sleep. The only way to save her from transgressing into an eternal slumber was to retrieve the powder of the Black Rose, which only grew in the darkest depths of the forest, where even the sun was unable to penetrate. It was rare for anyone to emerge from the forest with a Black Rose in hand, and only one miraculous man had managed to accomplish the task.

"Listen, Serenity, I will get that rose and come back alive. For both your and Mai's sake."

"Mine?"

"I need a favor."

"What is it?" Serenity asked, taking a step forward. "I shall do anything for you, brother."

Joey took in a deep breath and then released it meditatively, eyes closed. "Serenity, I need you to pose as Princess Mai." 

"What?"

His eyes opened. "Sis, I would never ask you this unless it was important," Joey pleaded. "Please. When I met Mai, she hadn't arrived at the Azure Palace. The King or royal family hasn't even met her yet! Mai is already a month late in arriving; people are becoming suspicious. Word will reach Mai's homeland that she failed to arrive and a war may erupt!"

"Mai is the King's fiancée, isn't she?" Serenity asked, although she knew the answer. 

"Yes."

"Joey..."

"Please, Serenity. For our kingdom."

"And what if Mai awakens?" Serenity asked. "The King will surely be able to tell the difference between the two of us."

Joey lowered his eyes, which had darkened to the shade of hardened mud. "You haveta somehow repel the King. Have the engagement broken off. Mai will return to her Kingdom once before we go off an' elope."

"No..." Serenity whispered, finding the plan selfish and risky, nonetheless impossible. Her? A princess? The concept made her blush more than it did laugh. On top of it all, inside of her ran words of negativity -scandal, pain, defiance, fraud. 

Her worried countenance lowered Joey's spirits further and he kicked the rough stone floor of his sister's room. 

"Never mind, Serenity. I was thinkin' with my heart instead of my head." He looked up and placed his hands heavily on Serenity's shoulders, as if trying to pass his own plights onto her. "I want you to be safe. I can't _believe_ I even considered the possibility of you bein' trapped in that castle with the King...'Our Savior', what ridiculous notion is that? The man is a toad! I would never go to war for him! Anyway, I'm digressing." He patted his sister affectionately on the shoulders. "Take care of Ma for me, will ya?"

Serenity hugged her brother and nodded. Before he left, she packed him imperishable foods and prayed for his safe return. However, she did not know that one week later, she would see him again. Had she glimpsed into the future, she never would have taken it upon herself to listen to her brother and impersonate Princess Mai.

~~~

Serenity hadn't realized her brother's desperation until he mentioned his hatred for the King, which Serenity had forgotten at the moment. The subject of their Highness was rarely brought up in their home, only times when their mother would mention seeing his servants of Joey complained about taxes. No commoner had seen the King. He kept himself in isolation within the palace, causing rumors to start circulating about him. Some said that he was deathly ill, and others that he was hideous, a creature so vile that plants withered when he passed by. However, he was a good King, especially in relation to his father. The previous ruler had been a ruthless tyrant, and a vast majority of the kingdom was impoverished. Now, everyone bloomed in prosperity. The residents of the kingdom were overwhelmed with the desire to set eyes on their savior; therefore, when it was announced that Princess Mai was to be engaged to the King, everyone was overjoyed. 

Princess Mai's kingdom almost paralleled their own, which was why the match between the King and Princess was so elatedly received. Their people placed focus on pride and banished magic, which was deemed as the devil's ensnarement. The King and Queen, Mai's parents, were overly protective of their daughter. She was their only child. The King had wanted to change the law in order for Mai to inherit the throne and become Queen, yet he knew it was impossible. Instead, Prince Yami, the King's son from the Queen's sister, would become King. Mai was still important to the Royal family, nonetheless, being their legitimate child. By engaging her to the Kong of Domino, Mai was able to retain her rightful place as Queen. She would be only a three month journey from her homeland and by that, the King and Queen were satisfied.

They hadn't, however, taken into consideration Mai's feelings. She was furious, and from what she had told Joey and Serenity, thrown a fit.

"I broke at least twenty priceless vases," she had said with a toss of her golden hair. "It gets boring after a while."

Serenity sighed from her reminiscing. Mai had been on her way to the palace when she alluded her guards and ran off into the daily market. That was when she had literally bumped into Joey. She had lied that her guards were villains desiring the worst from her and caused Joey to bring her into hiding in his blacksmith's shop. From there, they had fallen in love. 

Serenity remembered Joey coming home, happier than he had been in a while. He was deliriously blinded by love, planning to make Mai his wife and have many children with her. Mai seemed equally happy, although there was this constant sadness which would overwhelm her at times she should have been overjoyed. It wasn't until Mai had ran into Joey's shop, disheveled, that he found out whom she truly was. 

As it turned out, a wizard by the name of Marik was obsessed with desiring to destroy Mai's royal family. He had attempted to attack Prince Yami, but realized that no one really did care whether or not the illegitimate child of the King survived or not. And although Marik hated to admit it, Prince Yami had evaded his every move with surprising dexterity. Thus, Marik was forced to go after the weak point in the family, which happened to be Mai. For the past year, she had been struggling to prevent herself from being killed by him, and on that fateful day, Marik had found her and nearly accomplished what he desired. Mai had been in the forest gathering herbs when Marik apprehended her. He had fired several lightening bolts at her, but Mai had managed to evade him when one of the trees the bolts hit split in the middle, fell, and then knocked him out cold. 

Mai was prepared to go back to the palace and forget about her love for Joey, but he refused, stating that he did not care whether or not she was a Princess and an insane wizard was after her. He desired to love and protect her for as long as possible. 

The Princess, delighted, remained with Joey and they became betrothed. However, in her joy, Mai began to leave her defenses down. A week later, Serenity and Mrs. Wheeler arrived home to find Mai unconscious on the floor, a basket of mini-muffins scattered beside her. In her hand was a half eaten mini-muffin.

Joey, obviously, went berserk and ran around flailing until his friend, Yugi, shook him until he had calmed down. The muffins were later on examined and found to contain grinded moonstone, which caused the mind and body to ink into the depths of eternal sleep.

"Serenity?" Mrs. Wheeler called out, snapping Serenity out of her thoughts. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Serenity nodded. "I must, if we are to preserve our family's honor."

"I don't even know where to begin..." Mrs. Wheeler said, shaking her head. "A princess! _Our_ princess! It's too much to even think about, nonetheless... _do_!"

Serenity, on the other hand, had an inkling about where to seek help. However, she was well aware that she would be worked to the bone in the process.

~~~

"Princess! We had been worried sick!" the steward cried out, pushing past the servants who had let Serenity and Tea inside. "Where have you been?"

"We were sidetracked," Tea said sharply, cutting in for Serenity. "The monsters are absolutely outlandish in these parts!"

"I'm deeply sorry for your troubles, Miss...?"

"Gardener," Tea said. "I am Serenity's nurse."

"You're a young one, aren't you?"

"Oh, don't flatter me," Tea exclaimed, following with a coquettish laugh. 

"Well, as much as I would adore to talk to you more, I have a meeting to attend," the steward said, motioning for a servant to come their way. "Please show them to their rooms."

The servant nodded. "Please follow me, Princess. I must say that it is an honor to be finally meeting you."

"Thank you."

Serenity inwardly gasped as two fingers pinched her on her arm and she suddenly remembered one of the rules she had been told: never be kind to people of lower status than you.

"I'm sorry, Tea," Serenity whispered as the servant led them further inside the palace. 

"Just be more careful next time," Tea warned in a threatening tone. "And don't turn your head to talk to me! You should never have to exert effort to get attention!"

"Effort?" Serenity's whisper turned to a near yell and the servant stopped for a moment, turning around to address the 'princess'.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. 

Once again, Tea answered for Serenity. "Of course it is!" she snapped in a tone that mirrored the one she used with Joey. The servant nodded and continued leading them thought the palace. Serenity struggled with herself to refrain from ogling at the spectacular artistry of the palace. The ceiling required a good craning of the neck to observe, decorated with strained glass designs of fantastical creatures that Serenity had dreamed of seeing, from fairies to dragons. There were high, pearly pillars, so pure that they placed snow to shame. The floors appeared so delicate, created from fine sky blue marble, that Serenity felt offensive even standing on it. 

"We will send a messenger in when the King is ready to see you," the servant explained, stopping in front of a chamber with two large marble doors. "Have a good rest, Princess."

It took an even greater amount of effort by Serenity to prevent herself from gasping. The room was beyond anything she had even seen. It was at least ten times larger than the entirety of her home, and filled with such beauteous artifacts and decor that she couldn't even fathom the worth of the room. The windows were so massive that she could see the entire forest and further from that, the rolling hills of lush green and mountains. 

Immediately, Serenity ran to the window but found herself unconsciously drawn to the drapes, which, once felt, was made of a delphinium shaded silk. Its softness caused Serenity to question the very existence of it.

A loud sigh broke into Serenity's thoughts and she turned to the direction of it. Tea was sitting on the grand four poster bed, a large canopy above her and rich, heavily embroidered quilts beneath. 

"I think we need to brush up on our lessons," she said, smoothing out the bottom of her periwinkle gown. "Do you not agree?"

Serenity's breathing became restricted as her breath caught in her throat with the horrible remembrance of the hurried three days and night spent with Tea and her _lessons._ Having no one else to turn to, Serenity made the horrible mistake of asking Tea for her guidance and suddenly found herself being squeezed into corsets and taught how to act like a princess. As Tea was a waltz instructor, she was well acquainted with the high class society's way of life. Therefore, she made sure that Serenity mirrored everything expected of a princess. She was scrubbed with rough stone to remove her callous skin and dumped into a freezing bath in order to look presentable. Every time she spoke unlike a princess, reverting back to the slang she was used to speaking at home, Tea would bring out her pony whip and smack Serenity hard on the arm. Just the thought of it caused Serenity to reach her hand up and rub her most likely bruised limb. 

"Serenity, you know I hate doing this to you," Tea said, taking Serenity's hands and gesturing for her to sit on the bed. "But if we are caught, it will be our death."

Serenity nodded. "I'm sorry. I am grateful for everything you have done for me." She did indeed look the part of a princess, dressed in a long over-sleeved ruby gown, embroidered with gold, which split in the middle of the skirt to give it a more fuller, regal appearance. The bodice's neckline was rather low, but Tea insisted that it was the style that the royals wore these days. Tea's attire consisted of a periwinkle gown, which had a high collar and she wore a caul headdress. She had managed to get a seamstress to create both dresses for a decent price, and Serenity couldn't have been more grateful.

"It was nothing. Now-" She clapped her hands together. "-Why don't you get some sleep, hmm?"

"I am too worried to sleep," Serenity said, frowning. She stood up and walked to the window where she could view the entirety of the forest. "My brother is somewhere in there."

"He will come back alive," Tea assured. Yet somehow, Serenity was far from relieved. She eventually pulled up a chair to sit by the window while Tea brushed her hair, complaining about how it was too brittle to be a princess's.

"Tomorrow, I'm washing your hair in honey," she stated, while Serenity grimaced but said nothing. Suddenly, their silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. Wordlessly, Tea stood up and went to answer the door, where she saw a young man dressed in the court's uniform, whom she assumed was the messenger.

"The King will see the Princess now," he said, eyes flickering to where Serenity was sitting. Tea nodded and excused herself, saying that the Princess was in need to style her hair before the meeting. 

"You need to look presentable," she explained, rummaging through her bag until she found a golden chest, one which had belonged to Mai. Opening it, she pulled out Mai's tiara -a strand of gold which would encircle Serenity's head, with magnificent jewels surrounded by golden wings that would attached to her hair above her ears and had a crystal in the shape of a teardrop that would lay on her forehead. Serenity had never seen Mai wear it, but assumed that she looked beautiful. Once Tea had successfully attached the tiara, she opened the door and they followed the messenger to the courtroom where the King was waiting. 

Inside, the room was filled with nobility, all wishing to catch a glimpse of the princess. Serenity blushed when entering and it wasn't difficult for her to keep her head down as she walked up to where she assumed the King was sitting. Her heart beat fiercely beneath her bodice from anticipation of seeing the King for the first time. People bowed down as she passed them and once she had arrived in front of the throne, she curtseyed perfectly alongside Tea.

"Your majesty," the steward announced, who was standing beside the throne. "This is Princess Mai."

There was a heavy silence as the King narrowed his eyes. Finally, right when Serenity thought that she would faint from her constricted ribs and the pressure surrounding her, he spoke in a velveteen voice. "I thought that she was supposed to be stunning."

Serenity's cheeks burned from the insult, but nonetheless, she kept her eyes down, focusing on the red carpet beneath her. She could feel the King's eyes on her as he examined his future bride. 

"Look at me," he commanded, and it took a slight nudge from Tea for Serenity to carry out the action. Once her eyes landed on him, she nearly gasped at the sight of the King, who was far younger than she could have ever dreamed. He must have been only a few years older than herself! He sat on the throne looking positively bored, arms folded and one leg over the other. He wore a crown that was not massive, but nonetheless didn't suit him. He had a rather thin frame from what she could see despite the crimson cloak around his shoulders, and chestnut shaded hair. What enticed her, though, were his eyes. They were such a deep blue that she felt ensnared by them and couldn't look away.

"So she is to be my bride..." he mused aloud, lowering his eyes to scan over the length of her again. Their eyes met for a moment before the King broke the gaze and stood up. "You may return to your quarters."

"Thank you, your majesty," Tea said, curtseying once more and Serenity following suit. 

Once Tea had led Serenity out of the courtroom, she released a heavy sigh and leaned against one of the pillars. "I thought I was near death," she breathed, panting heavily. "He is undeniably rude. I don't know how I'm going to manage being around him for lord knows how long!"

"I'm scared of him," Serenity admitted, folding her hands together in a fit of nervousness. "It is as if he...saw right through me."  
"Don't be ridiculous," Tea scolded, standing up from the pillar. "Now, let's get you ready for bed."

Serenity nodded, but the fear inside of her failed to quell. This King was different from the rest, and she realized that this was going to be more difficult than she imagined.

~~~

(a/n: I know, it's really boring so far, but I needed everything explained or else nothing would make sense. So... continue, or burn it? *holds up a lighter*)


	2. The King

(a/n: I'm baaaaaaaack! Oh, how I've missed everyone! Well, since my lighter has been stolen repeatedly by you wonderful people, _The Black Rose _remains in the fanfiction realms and shall be continued! Thank you to everyone who reviewed -you don't understand how much it means to me. I spent my breaks at work outlining the plot and working on the first chapter, mainly for self amusement, so I'm happy that this has been greatly received. It's going to be a bit of a challenge to write, but who doesn't like a good challenge, neh?)

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Two - The King

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King Seto had been staring into what everyone assumed was space for quite the time. Ever since the engagement with Princess Mai, his mind had always been wandering off. Prince Mokuba had blamed it on the theft of his independence -he was far too young to marry, especially to someone he didn't even know. However, he was countered with the fact that most of the kings his age were married already. A King without a Queen was preposterous idea, and it would only be a matter of time before people began to notice the strange void and demand for a new king. After hearing most of this, the King laughed cruelly and called most of his royal court idiots. He had, though, agreed to at least see the Princess. 

They were officially engaged through the signing of documents, yet King Seto had not yet placed a ring on the Princess's finger. They had wanted it to be a ceremony of the joining of two Kingdoms, but the King had refused. Tomorrow, he would slip the ring onto her finger when no one was watching, perhaps in the presence of his brother and the steward.

"Your Majesty?"

Seto blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Yes?"

"The Princess has arrived."

The girl entered quietly like a wraith, her eyes lowered and hands tightly clasped together as if she were in mourning. Although she appeared admittedly pretty enough to be a glass doll, dressed in a low cut rose yellow gown and wearing a small gold headband, he had a feeling she would be happier as a nun.

She curtseyed deeply, which slightly surprised him; most princesses were too pristine to bother themselves with displaying full respect to their superiors. She almost reminded him of a peasant.

The princess remained standing, staring at the floor, until Seto, fed up, broke the silence.

"Are you joining us or not?"

Her eyes darted upward, frantic for a moment, and soon after, her cheeks followed by flushing a rose pink.

"O-of course!" she stuttered in a breathless voice, then hurried to the table. Looking about, she noticed that the only other chair was across from the King -literally. Between them would be a stretch of table nearly four meters in length. He noticed that she seemed reluctant to sit so far away but only expressed it through a quick glance before hurrying to her seat. Reaching for the chair, she seemed surprised when one of the servants pulled it out for her and thanked him with such a sincere voice, it caused the servant to soften to her immediately. Seto, meanwhile, became more critical of her. A would-be Queen should never speak with such a soft and caring tone to her underlings. She would have to be direct, strong and.... firm.

"My King?"

The Princess was staring at him, a slight blush beginning to appear on her cheeks.

_ Hellfire.._ He inwardly thought, coughing to break the tense moment. The Princess's gown had a rather low neckline, which happened to accent her finely endowed upper torso. He couldn't help it if he was staring! How could he miss them?

"What is it?" he asked, voice retaining its deep and authorities tone. He swept his eyes to the girl, hoping that she would be intimidated. She was.

"Oh, n-nothing!" She suddenly became entranced with her bare plate. "I... I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to dine with you."

"Don't be ridiculous!" he vociferated, more harshly than he had thought. "Where else would you have eaten? With the peasants outside? Dungeon, perhaps?"

There was no voiced answer. Instead, her head moved right to left and then back again in a slight motion that was barely noted.

_Like a child..._he mused. More silence.

"Are you not going to eat anything?" he asked, noticing her hands folded together as if bonded and set firmly on her lap. He supposed that his voice was too soft, because she squinted her eyes and shouted, "**Pardon me, my King**?" across the table.

**"Are you not going to eat anything?!"**

Her eyes widened and she blushed again, which caused the king to inwardly sigh. If this continued, he would have to keep tally on how many times her face flushed and to what shades, just to keep himself from falling asleep.

Through the corner of his eye, he watched as her hand hovered above the utensils, as if uncertain which one to use. She finally decided on the smallest one, which for some reason didn't surprise him. Then, she ate quietly and slowly, her little fork holding barely any food. Her eyes remained focused on the bare table in front of her and her food remained in her mouth for a while before she swallowed, which seemed like a difficult process, as if she were gulping out of nervousness.

By the time he had finished eating, her plate remained three-quarters full. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the servant to take away everything on the table, including the Princess's plate. She emitted a small, "Oh!" when it was swept from her, although he couldn't hear it, and her eyes widened when she saw all the food being quickly carted away.

"Is there anything wrong?" Seto asked, shouting as usual. He was curious about her surprise. "Is this something new to you?"

"O-of course not!" she protested. "We just... didn't have so much food..."

"Really?" He leaned back and a glass of wine was placed in his outstretched hand. "I've heard that your kingdom is famous for its rich banquets."

She blinked and he could have sworn that for a moment, her breath had hastened. "I-I meant that, _I_ didn't consume as much food as I had tonight."

"No wonder you're stick thin," he retorted. Her eyes fled back to her lap and he took a slow sip of the red liquid. Honestly, Princess Mai seemed completely different from what he had heard. Rumors floating about that she was a spitfire and spendthrift made him weary throughout the entire engagement and have nightmares about the prospective marriage. Yet now that she was in front of him, she seemed quite mousy and wimpy. Easily tamed. An obedient queen. A perfect match.

"Well, it seems that you're not as bad as I thought you to be," he said after a moment of silence. She looked up questioningly at him, chocolate eyes wide with either surprise or horror -he couldn't tell. She actually seemed panicked.

"And you're...you're...your cape is ugly," she blurted out. A minute later, she clutched her head and practically slammed it against the table. He could swear that she was groaning but princesses never groaned. Or so he had heard...

"Thank you for that... observation," he said tightly, although unconsciously he wondered whether his cape really was ugly. The princess still hadn't raised her head and for a moment he believed her to be sleeping. Annoyed, he got up and left the dining room. The servants would deal with her.

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Life as a monarch really wasn't that great; over-hyped, more like it. He was forced to throw out treaties every so often to avoid wars over petty matters, appease the peasants, lower taxes, appease the nobles, raise taxes, more treaties, appease the monsters, and god-forbid-war. 

Tonight he was sitting at his desk, reading over the current treaty between Losaine and Raquelle and scanning it for any hidden agendas. To the left of him was a pile of documents waiting to be approved. To the left of him, a pile of invitations to several societal functions. He planned on signing most of the documents and he also planned on refusing all of the invites.

Two raps on the door broke his concentration mid-sentence on boundaries and he called out lazily for the patron to enter. A gray haired man crept through the door and quietly shut it behind him, several papers in his hand.

"What is it this time, Roland?" Seto shouted, not bothering to look up from his work. He then squinted and rubbed his throat. It was quite raw from all that shouting he had done at dinner. He hade a note to himself to have the princess sit next to him when they dined together again.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but the peasants are demanding that the taxes be lessened..."

"Of course they are!" the King cried out, angrily sweeping the papers off of his desk He winced again momentarily but soon regained his fierce expression. "They want new roads, clean water, more food, but when it comes to raising taxes to pay for all of it, they will have none of it!"

"Y-yes, your Majesty..."

"Toss the papers into the fire!" Seto ordered. When Rowland refused to move, the King grabbed a handful off his own desk and threw them into the fireplace. He then embellished in the slight weight lifted off his chest as the papers disintegrated.

"I'm going to regret this later, aren't I?" he asked, more to himself than to Rowland. A rare short laugh was emitted a moment later but was soon replaced with his emotionless countenance. His eyes flickered to Rowland. "You're still here?"

"I have more news to bear," he stated. "Prince Mokuba is due to return in two night's time."

"Very good, then. You are dismissed."

Rowland bowed deeply and then left the King's chambers. Seto, meanwhile, remained standing near the fireplace, feeling the warmth of the flames radiate onto his face and listening to the crackling of burning wood. This was one of his few moments of peace; he was going to enjoy it.

Ever since he could remember, he was always working. His father would bombard him with tutors who specialized in almost every possible field of education -he was even forced to learn eight different languages, including Elfish. By the age of ten he was disillusioned when he realized that he was far more intelligent than over half the palace staff and nobles. By twelve, he was disturbed when he began to understand the poverty running rampant about the kingdom, and he secretly began to develop methods of taxation which wouldn't drain the peasants yet ensure the kingdom's prosperity.

When he was fifteen, his father had died and he became king. Although he managed to sever corruption within the kingdom and bring the population back to prosperity, the workload never seemed to die down. Every morning, noon and night he would sit in either his study or bedroom, reading and signing, reading and signing. He didn't even remember going outside the palace since he was thirteen!

From a sudden burst of nostalgia, he exited the room, deciding that he would enjoy to walk through the palace garden. It was the closest he would ever get to being outside the walls. As he swept through the halls, servants bowed to him, all mimicking one another with their breathy, "Your Majesty". Frankly, it was getting annoying. He hadn't heard anyone call him by his name since he became king; even Mokuba referred to him as 'Brother'. He could hear the capitalization on first letter, which was a frightening thing.

Entering the palace garden, Seto took in a deep breath of the fresh air, hoping that it would clear his mind as well. Instead, he began to think about all the work awaiting him when he went back to his room. Shaking his head, he continued on the cobblestone pathway but paused when he heard voices from behind the hedge.

"I said that his cape was ugly!" a very feminine voice cried out. Instantly, he matched it up with the Princess's; no one else had insulted his taste in fashion recently.

"Well, it's a start..." another voice responded, following with a short laugh. "You really can't be left alone for one hour, can you?"

"I'm just not used to it all...And he seems like a nice person, I just can't--"

"Stop it," the other woman ordered. "You can't back down now."

"I am sorry, Tea," the Princess said and he could swear that she was on the verge of crying.

Feeling suddenly uneasy about listening in, work became appealing and the King left the garden. Buried within his freshly stacked piles of documents, he didn't think twice about what the Princess and the other woman were talking about. It didn't matter anyway, did it? Princess Mai would be his wife and as far as he could tell, there were no strings attached.

A few hours later, he was ready to retire when an arrow swept past him right before his eyes and firmly embedded itself into the wall next to him. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, the King jumped up, his hands deftly hovering above his sword that was leaning against his chair. His eyes raised to the door where a figure was hidden by the darkly cast shadows. He was holding a bow, ready to strike, but suddenly dropped it as he stepped into the fire's light.

A young boy roughly the age of 11 stood in the doorway, violet eyes shimmering and a distinctive smirk on his face. His unruly dark hair was tied back by an emerald ribbon and he wore a rider's cape, which would easily blend in with forestry. It reached down to his leather boots and partially shielded his deeper green tunic, similar to the midnight blue one Seto wore.

"Mokuba!" Seto cried out, sounding more surprised than he had intended. The young prince grinned and held up his bow with one gloved hand.

"So, what do you think, Brother?" he asked, nodding to the arrow pointing out of the wall. "Great stuff, is it not?"

"You nearly took out my eye," was Seto's response, although he had broken into a smile. "But I'm glad that you have returned."

After a tight embrace, the brothers caught up on the incidents of one another's lives, from Mokuba's training to the arrival of the Princess, which Mokuba seemed greatly interested in.

"Is she pretty?" he asked eagerly, leaning forward. The two were perched on Seto's bed, being that it was late and it would be rude to wake the rest of the palace.

Seto looked away, deciding to focus on the fireplace nearby. "It depends on what you define as pretty."

"You know what I'm talking about!" Mokuba cried out. "Is she slim with fair skin, long hair, glittering eyes and a kind demeanor?"

With Mokuba's ranting, an image of Mai filled Seto's mind -her auburn hair, her deep hazel eyes, her beautiful skin, her rosy lips. She was certainly prettier than he had imagined, taking into consideration the other princesses he had been unfortunate enough to meet. He had taken quite the leap in agreeing to marry Princess Mai without seeing her first, but time was running out for him and his advisors were becoming relentless.

He answered his brother with the only thing that came to mind. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"To everything."

"I want to meet her!" Before the Prince could get up, his brother seized him, encircling his arms around his waist.

"You shall do no such thing," he hissed. "The Princess is most likely sleeping."

Releasing a defeated sigh, Mokuba stopped struggling and went limp. Seto released him.

"Tomorrow is the ceremony, then?"

"Yes."

Noticing that his brother was not looking at him, Mokuba shuffled over until he was sitting next to his brother, his legs hanging off the edge of the bed and not nearly close to touching the carpeted floor. His brother's long limbs, however, spread quite a length.

"Do you love her?" he inquired, his eyes attempting to meet his brother's. Instantly, Seto flushed and gritted his teeth.

"How in seven hell's could I be in love with her?" he spat, his hands balling into fists. "I just met her two moons ago."

"But you're _marrying_ her!" Mokuba near shrieked, panic beginning to seize him. "How can you marry her if you don't love her?"

"Stop being so idealistic, Mokuba," Seto commanded, finally meeting his brother's inquisitive gaze head on. "Love has nothing to do with it. We're marrying one another because of diplomatic relations and because she is of royal blood. Your father had chosen the same path, and you will as well."

"You...you mean father didn't love mother?"

Oh, hellfire, now it seemed like the little one would begin to cry. It seemed odd, if anything, that his brother had such a set view on the sanctity of marriage. Usually his brother was quite knowledgeable and mature for his age -not blinded by romantic hallucinations. Romance, in Seto's opinion, was near to non-existent. In these days, a person chose a spouse because it was most convenient to them. Love usually led to one or both of the couple being dead, either from starvation or sheer stupidity, sometimes even a mixture of both.

But how could he explain such harsh realities to his younger brother? It seemed almost unfair. Eventually, the boy would realize that some things were more important than love, such as power. But right now, he would have to keep the truth of their father's wife to a minimum.

"Father loved a certain aspect of mother," Seto finally said, a thought striking him. "She was the Princess of Dreylon, after all. She was perfect to fit the role of a queen."

"You're not going to do that to Princess Mai, are you?" Mokuba suddenly asked, his voice lowered to a whisper. His violet eyes darkened to a plum shade and his gaze seemed almost accusing. Seto immediately understood what his brother was conveying.

"No," he protested. "Of course not! It will ultimately be Mai's decision as to how she will utilize her royal powers."

"Does she love you?"

The King looked away again, having sensed this inquisition was coming. It was widely known that their mother adored the past king, but King Gozaboro wouldn't give her the time of day. She was a mere shadow in the court, never looking after her children and completely isolated. Even Seto couldn't remember her. She had died soon after Mokuba was born and never mentioned since.

"I do not know," he responded, more softly than he usually would. "She seems quite different from what I have heard about her, though. Quite silent, easily ruffled, weak..."

_And strange_, he silently added, remembering her odd remark about his cape at dinner and furthermore, her strange actions, as if she had never seen a royal banquet before.

"Well, we'll change that, won't we?" Mokuba cried out, jumping off from the bed.

"What?"

Mokuba scoffed. "Dear Brother, it's quite simple. You romance her. Sweep her off her feet! Make her fall in love with you!"

The King also emitted a scoff; this one, however, was quite bitter. "It won't make a difference. Tomorrow we will become engaged for all of Domino to see."

"Then at least get to know her!" Mokuba protested, stomping on the floor. "Imagine -she must be more afraid than you are!"

He thought back to the two short encounters he had with her and realized that Mokuba had a point. It would be dutiful of him to get to know the wench; after all, she would be ruling alongside him.

"Fine, fine," he agreed, waving a dismissive hand. "Now, get off to bed."

"You'll start tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

The prince grinned, bowed to his brother and vociferated a simple, "Good night, dear Brother" before vanishing from the King's chambers.

"Tch," the King emitted once the boy was out of his sight. "I wonder what garbage that idiot has been feeding to Mokuba..."

He made a mental note to speak to Mokuba's mentor in the morning.

* * *

The King was rarely allowed the privilege of sleeping past sunrise. When the flaming star birthed a horizon, the King's drapes were opened and his servants invaded the room. Roland was always the first to enter since the King hated seeing servants in his presence. As usual, he awoke the King with a chime from a bell. And as the tradition continued, Seto jumped awake and looked around frantically. When he saw Roland, he groaned and bit back a curse. 

"Good morning, your Majesty," he greeted, walking off to retrieve the King's garments. "Wonderful day for an engagement, is it not?"

"Morning already?" Seto mumbled, yawning soon afterward. He allowed Roland to dress him, although he was perfectly capable of executing the task himself. It didn't matter how many times he argued with him; Roland won out in the end. It almost amazed Seto that despite having the secular powers of being King, he still couldn't make the simplest decisions himself. He would voice something and it would become twisted in such a way that it no longer held its original meaning.

"The Princess is up and about, your Majesty," Roland explained while Seto removed his dark blue cape and sword. Roland paused. "What may you be doing, my liege?"

"I've decided that it's too early for the cape," Seto said, "and the sword."

"Your crown, then?"

Seto glared hatefully at it but grabbed it nonetheless. It was a symbol of his power -he would not go without it.

Roland was explaining the day's schedule to him when Seto noticed Mokuba's mentor exiting one of the chambers. The man was no older than the King and had just been appointed the Prince's mentor, although Seto had disliked the idea from the start. For once thing, his appearance hardly seemed sage-like. He had unearthly white hair, held back with a blue ribbon, and a face which had such soft features, he was often mistaken for a girl.

Upon noticing the King, the mentor bowed and offered a friendly smile.

"Ah, my Lord," he spoke. "The Prince and I have arrived earlier than noted. I take that you've spoken to the young Prince?"

"That I have," King Seto growled. "I have half the mind to behead you, Ryou Bakura!"

The mentor shrieked and dashed down the marble based hall, the King hot on his trails. They pushed past several startled servants and ran down a set of stairs. Seto was close to catching Ryou when an astonished Princess Mai crashed straight into the man.

"Oh!" she cried out, having been tossed a few feet from the impact. Mortified, Ryou stood up and was helping the Princess up when Seto grabbed him by the hood of his cloak.

"You shall no longer be teaching my brother!" he hissed and with one powered flick, threw Ryou back. Several guards, having heard the ruckus, had entered and fully understanding the King's language, they arrested Ryou.

"Take him to the dungeon," the King ordered. eyes mindlessly focused on the stone wall several feet away from him. "A few days in there will clear his head as to what is expected of residents in this castle."

"My liege, you mustn't do this!" Ryou was crying out as he was dragged off. "Seto! _SETO!"_

Seto flinched from the unfamiliar sound of being called by his first name. It had been many years, hadn't it, since Ryou had called him Seto...

"What was that?" a loud female voice cried out, shattering his thoughts. He broke his gaze to see a dark haired girl wearing a nurse's outfit aiding the Princess. When she noticed the King staring at her, she made a strangled sound and turned a few shades of red before bowing down. The Princess, watching her actions, gasped and did the same.

"My King, you mustn't--" Roland, who had followed them at a walking pace, noticed the bowing princess and gave an inquisitive look to Seto, which he didn't acknowledge. Sensing that the King was unsure how to handle the bizarre situation, he cleared his throat and summoned an amiable expression.

"Dear Princess, what a pleasure it is to see you," he said, bowing down. Princess Mai looked up and upon seeing the man bowing, blushed harder.

"Oh, please," she protested, her voice slightly breathy. "Please don't."

"He must."

Her gaze now turned to the King, who was staring at her through hard eyes. She seemed so frightened, it was as if she would burst into tears. Roland stood to his full height and motioned for Seto to take the Princess's arm. He did so, although awkwardly. They both seemed quite reluctant. As they walked through the hall, Roland spoke.

"As you know, today is the engagement ceremony," he explained and Seto was certain he heard the Princess sharply take in a breath of air. "The ceremony will take place in a few hours time. Until then, you are free to do as you please." He then turned to Tea. "Ms. Gardener, I presume?"

She nodded. "Y-yes."

"Please follow me."

Seto noted that she cast a warning look at Princess Mai, who looked fearful. When Roland and the nurse rounded a corner, he and the princess were left alone. They stood in silence for a moment before Seto cleared his throat and gazed down at her. She seemed far smaller than he had thought.

"Princess, perhaps we should go somewhere more secluded?"

She looked at him with an incredulous expression, a soft blush heating her cheeks. He sighed in response and glanced at the many servants passing by them, each and everyone bowing as they passed him. It was causing quite the stagnation. The Princess caught on quickly, which amazed him given her silent personality. He imagined her mind to be just as unimpressive as she appeared.

He led her to the same garden he had visited last night, where he had heard her speaking to her nurse. Once there, by the hand he showed her to a bench where she sat down uneasily, smoothing out her gown, which was a daffodil shade today, adorned with silver stitching. She was wearing her simple yet beautiful tiara, which he noted would be replaced when she would become queen. However, despite the flamboyance of her gown and breathtaking tiara, he was caught most by _her_. She remained as pretty as when he had first seen her, although he would not admit it. Behind her eyes, he wondered what she may be thinking. Although she was a beauty, was her mind a suitable match?

_Then at least get to know her..._ Mokuba's words resounded in his mind and Seto closed his eyes, wondering about what he would ask her.

"Your trip went well, I presume?" he asked, silently rebuking himself for asking such a simplistic question. Once again, she seemed caught off guard and gasped before nodding quickly.

"Yes... Domino is a lovely Kingdom..."

_Such a mundane answer._

"I heard that the blue mountains you bypassed were a spectacular sight."

_But not a better question._

"O-of course!"

_Typical. What else would she say? That she hated all of it?_

Sick of the ordinary questions a king may ask of his bride-to-be (or a passing stranger, it really made no difference) Seto decided to ask her about something he was _actually_ interested in.

"Tell me, have you read the works of Gavin Rossdale?"

Her eyes seemed to light up for a moment and she turned to him quickly. However, in an instant the light died down and her eyes lowered to the space of metal between them.

"No," she said firmly. "I... I don't read."

"You don't read?" Seto repeated, incredulous. "Shouldn't a princess be educated?"

"I quite enjoy the works of.... Earl Cambrige."

Seto paused, staring at her. She couldn't have just said... "You mean to tell me that you don't believe in rule by Divine Right?"

Now she seemed slightly frightened, but a simple blink changed that. "Absolutely not! If it were up to me, I would have democratic elections and have all the royalty beheaded!"

"Excuse me?" His voice had returned to its normal low hiss, which was slightly a relief. He was sick of being nice to this trollop, who was apparently insane.

"Furthermore, I'm thoroughly sickened having to marry a troll like you!"

_Did she just call me a troll?_

"Really?" He was clutching onto the bench so hard that he feared it would bend beneath his fingers.

"And your crown," she spoke, quite softly for the heavy insults she was spitting out, "makes your head look big. I'm also wondering why you're so pathetically skinny. Is it possible you were born a woman?"

He decided not to gratify that with an answer. However, the mindless wench didn't seem to be fazed by it and continued.

"You do know that I'm probably going to bear you a daughter," she said, appearing thoughtful. "After all, it happened with all the other soldiers I bore children to...But I did get good money out of it!"

_This was becoming ridiculous. First a leftist supporter and now a common whore?_

"I _do_ hope you can live up to their standards, especially with your frail body...Oh! Should I not be talking about suggestive things?" She covered her mouth, wide-eyed and horrified. "I'm deeply sorry! Oh, how I've embarrassed myself!"

"Thank you for your time, Princess Mai, but I best be going," Seto emitted through gritted teeth, hoping that she noticed the hate-filled glare he was sending her. Instead, she blinked innocently.

"Oh, so soon?"

"There's work to be done."

The princess sighed. "And here I thought you merely sat on your arse while everyone else did work!" She followed her statement with a laugh, which was the last straw. At least Mokuba was right about one thing -it was certainly a good thing he found out what a witch this girl was before he made the grave mistake of marrying her. No... wait... he had a better idea.

He _would _marry the wench. After, he would make her into the model queen and force her to eat up every offensive word she had ever uttered in his presence. No one insulted him and got away with it.

She would have the same fate as the last queen.

Before he left, he allowed a malicious smile to escape through his lips. The princess, to his delight, looked bewildered and best of all, positively terrified.

* * *

(a/n: Most of you should know why Serenity is acting strange, but for those who don't, it will be explained in the next chapter. Save the questions for later, dearies, because most of them will be answered as I go along in the story. I just don't want to mention anything or else it may spoil the story. . ) 


	3. The Wizard

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Three- The Wizard

* * *

__

"It's ridiculous!" Serenity exclaimed once she had closed her bedroom door behind her. Tea looked up from her stitching and raised her brows in question.

"You're still on about that?" she asked, watching Serenity in slight amusement as she attempted to struggle out of her gown. Putting down her work, she went to help the damsel who sighed with relief once she was free of the rib-breaking corset.

The faux princess replied with a guttural cry and flopped ungracefully onto her bed with such force that she bounced off and landed on the other side.

"Well, there goes your chance to angst..." Tea said wryly, beginning to walk over to help Serenity. She was smiling up until she noticed the girl was crying. Silently, of course. Serenity was never the type to use her lungs unless she was either dying or her brother was dying.

"This is completely your fault!" Serenity cried out in frustration, wiping furiously at her streaming tears. Her skin was beginning to burn from the salty liquid, which it wasn't accustomed to. "I shouldn't have listened to you! I'm a good person!"

Tea was taken back for a moment, speechlessly gawking at the normally timid young woman, before her voice found her. "You _asked_ me how to repel the King and I have you a choice! And this evening was entirely your doing!"

Serenity's eyes widened at Tea's heartlessness and her lower lips began to quiver. They had promised one another never to bring up the incident again, but obviously, someone had forgotten her part of the oath.

**__**

Earlier That Evening

_Serenity descended the stairs, her legs shaking so such an extent that it was amazing she didn't fall down the stairs. Instead, she seemed to gracefully come down, her long gown hiding her trembling legs and her mind so afraid that no emotion was conveyed on her face. At the base of the stairs stood the King, a man who intended to wed her but had no idea about who she truly was. He seemed solemn for the occasion but more impatient than anything. When her left foot touched the floor, he turned abruptly to a man in a regal white robe, embroidered with gold,_

_ "Let's get this over with," he said, the words exiting his mouth like an undesirable virus that he had to rid. He didn't even look at her. Suddenly, her beautiful gold gown seemed quite wasted and she desired to unpin her hair from the elegant up-do the maids had slaved over._

_ The man nodded and opened the silver box in his hand, which creaked almost ominously. Sleeping on plush red velvet was the engagement ring -a breath-taking golden band with a massive diamond on it. Serenity was certain that a diamond that size could feed the Kingdom for a decade, at least. An ancient scripture flowed along the band of the ring, surrounding the diamond in its blood like ruby engraving and she almost feared the ring would burn her finger upon contact. She glanced up at the King for reassurance, but his gaze, like hers had been, was transfixed on the ring._

_"Your Majesty," the man said and Seto nodded, taking the ring between two fingers. "Princess."_

_ Serenity lifted her hand and stared into Seto's eyes. They were twin whirlpools of darkness, seizing her, surveying her, and clenching her heart. She didn't belong here and she had a feeling that he knew. Not only that, but there seemed to be something wrong with the King himself. He had changed since earlier that afternoon.  
_

_ When his frigid fingers touched hers, she flinched, drawing a curious look from the robed man. Suddenly, she was awake, realizing that if she didn't do something soon, she would be drawn further into something she wanted no part of whatsoever. She anxiously looked around the massive room and nearly screamed from its emptiness. Only two thrones and a dozen chairs separated her from dismay._

_Time becoming short and the ring already on the tip of her finger, she did the only thing she could think of._

_She fainted._

She had been returned to the room, her corset being weighed with the blame for her fainting. The King had been merely annoyed and hardly cared about her 'condition', while Serenity was distraught about her lying and creating a scene. But more than anything, the engagement ceremony had terrified her and had been a rude awakening into the minimal amount of time she had to avoid Mai's fate.

"I'm sorry, Serenity." Tea was hardly surprised when the girl burst into tears once more. There were only so many times she could avoid the King. Serenity had a feeling that if he insisted the engagement ceremony take place again tomorrow, she would have no choice but to accept the ring, even if it was a crime against the Royal Family and most of all, heaven.

"I don't want to be here anymore," Serenity managed through her sobs, allowing herself to be comforted by Tea. She almost felt like a young girl again, wrapped within her mother's arms.

"Just a little while longer..." Tea soothed. "Your brother will be back and you can go home."

The younger girl suddenly stiffened. "Go home?" How could she? After all she had done, it was irreversible. She couldn't simply get up and leave the tangled mess she had made. Princess Mai was marrying King Seto for a reason -to preserve peace. If she left without a word, unimaginable chaos would erupt throughout the lands. Her heart clenched when she remembered, once again, the stupid words she had said to the King. The King! Did it even occur to her who he was? She had stupidly listened to Tea's advice, stupidly memorized the insults she had given, and stupidly vociferated them without a single thought.

Just like she had stupidly supported Joey's love for Mai, stupidly allowed him to venture off in search of the Black Rose and stupidly took up the role of a princess

"If I leave now... what will happen?" she asked slowly, her voice deeper than usual. She chose not to look at Tea and focused her eyes on the crimson sheets of her bed, her fingers kneading the silk. She couldn't even enjoy the luxuries of the wealthy without a nagging part of her mind reminding her that she deserved none of this. Instead, over the course of seven nights, the sheets felt like harsh grain against her skin, food consumed bore no taste, and even the darkness refused to grant her sleep.

She wanted to be in her tiny home, sitting by the fire and listening to her brother speak of becoming a Knight. Her hands would be occupied with knitting socks, because Joey always tore holes in his in a matter of days. Their mother would be cooking stew -they rarely had anything else. Surprisingly, her stomach ached from the thought of the homemade soup.

Her eyes lingered down to her fingers where usually small dots were present. She wasn't that great at sewing and poked herself habitually. Joey would then chastise her for taking up something that was beyond her talent.

_"Just do what you can do, Seren."_

"You'll be tracked down and killed."

She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing that Tea had answered her musing. Their eyes locked for a moment and Serenity suddenly shuddered, realizing the truth. She had no where to go. She would have to marry the King.

"The King is a good person," she whispered, more into her pillow than to Tea. "After all, he still went through with the engagement ceremony after everything I had said. I must apologize to him and mend the wrong I have done. In fact, I shall do so tonight."

Her friend didn't hear the comment -instead, her attention was on the darkened forest, visible through the large window. It seemed to stretch endlessly and she wondered who was scared more -Joey or Serenity?

* * *

When Tea had retired to her room, Serenity crept bravely out into the slumbering palace. Her resolve to make amends, however, crumbled at the eerie sight of the palace smothered in blackness. Nothing moved except for the occasional flickering of the torches hanging from the chilled palace walls. Her footsteps echoed too loudly for her tastes as she moved through the hall slowly and wearily. If anything, it emphasized that she was the only living being conscious at the moment, perhaps an appropriate victim for an ancient ghoul.

"This is ridiculous," she whispered to herself, calmed slightly from the sound of her voice. "Obviously the King would not be awake at this time of night..."

She was more than ready to turn back to her room when she noticed a flicker of white dash into a room on the far side of her. Her heart began to beat quickly while her mind came to a conclusion -she had just seen a ghost. A scream formed in the back of her throat but wavered between escaping or being swallowed.

A hand clamping on her shoulder caused the scream to burst out at an ear piercing decimal and instantly, dreams were broken, more torches were lit and people burst out of their rooms in wonderment and fear.

"You didn't have to scream like that!" a small, juvenile voice hissed. Serenity turned around, abashed, to see a young boy with angry violet eyes and wild ebony hair. He was glaring at her but at the same time, she could feel herself being examined. The boy broke his gaze from hers when some guards came thundering down the halls, their armor clattering louder than Serenity's scream.

"Prince Mokuba!" one exclaimed and instantly, the guards bowed. "We heard a scream and came to investigate."

The boy cast them a bored look. "It was her," he said, motioning to a red-faced Serenity. "I startled her. You may return to your quarters."

"Yes, Sir."

Yet the instant the men made a move to get up, they fell back down on one knee, their heads bowed so low that Serenity feared their necks would break. "Your Majesty!"

"Cease this ridiculous behavior," a voice commanded behind Serenity. She turned around and whipped straight into the chest of the King, who was draped in a silk blue robe. His eyes appeared tired yet livid and his hair was protruding at odd angles.

The men nodded, all chorused, "Yes, Your Majesty!" and scurried back to their posts. Once they were out of sight and their armor no longer heard, Seto roughly seized Serenity by her shoulders. Her breath started, the heat of his hands penetrating the flimsy cotton dress she wore. The sensation lasted a few mere moments, however, before she was rudely pushed to the side, like an inanimate object.

"What are you thinking, roaming around the palace at night?" Seto demanded, his hands now balled into tight fists. Frustration seeped out of him like a miasma and Serenity couldn't help but to feel sorry for Mokuba, the younger brother and Prince she had heard about. He was rarely in the Kingdom, frequently sent out on training missions for mental and physical development. It would be a slim chance that Mokuba became King; therefore, he was required to learn to become a protector for his brother and a mediator between kingdoms. In fact, when Mokuba would turn sixteen, he would be forced to fight a worthy opponent for the title of Head Knight. The pressure felt on him must have been unimaginable. Even now, his eyes were focused on the marble floor and his cheeks were flustered.

"I couldn't sleep..."

"Then how does that explain your presence in the West Wing?"

"If I may speak, Your Majesty--"

"You're here?" He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Serenity took in a deep, angry breath. If she swallowed her fury, it would not come out. "I was in need of fresh air so I left my room and noticed a... spider. It frightened me so that I screamed and your brother came to my rescue."

The King scowled. "So you were the one who screamed like a banshee and disrupted my slumber."

"I...I..." She was wringing her hands so much that they felt like they were burning -but the fire was nothing in comparison to her face. Lightheaded, her train of thought was a dead-end and she swooned slightly. Mokuba steadied her, much to her chagrin.

"Tch...Feeling faint again, I suppose?" the King emitted in disgust. "I hope this doesn't keep up. I'm going back to sleep. You two -get out of here."

He turned around and began to walk to his room but was stopped in his tracks by Serenity calling out his name.

"What is it, now?" he asked irritably, turning half of his body toward her. "Are you going to take the chance to insult my robe?"

"No..." She shook her head softly. "I wanted to apologize. About yesterday."

"You're Princess Mai?" Mokuba sputtered, staring at her incredulously. He turned to his brother for verification. "She's Princess Mai?"

Seto nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately so. I told you she was a nut."

The Prince's voice lowered to a whisper. "She's pretty..."

"Pretty insane..."

"I'm not insane!" Serenity protested. Seto raised a brow in question.

"Really?" He uncrossed his arms. "At first you were nice to me, then you were insulting me, after you humiliated me by fainting in front of the High Priest and now you want to make amends. Not to mention your unethical midnight screeching habit--"

"It's not a habit!" She looked from Seto to Mokuba and then back again, completely frustrated. "I... I didn't mean anything I said! About you, I mean. Oh, I'm no good at this!" She stomped a foot childishly, her fists clenched tightly together and face refusing to cool down. Following a few more deep breaths, she looked up and met the King's cold gaze. "Let's start over."

He seemed to flinch from the warmth in her eyes and quickly broke their stare. "Go to bed," he ordered, turning around abruptly.

"My King, if we are to be married, surely--"

"You know nothing about marriage..." he hissed over his shoulder. "I don't know what you're up to, but I will find out. I always do."

Thus he left her standing in the cold hall with the Prince, both seeming quite shaken from the night's events.

* * *

In the morning, Serenity was awoken by Tea dousing her with lukewarm water. She quickly awoke sputtering not from the shock, but the discomfort and metallic smell of the water.

"The faucet's not working," Tea explained while Serenity made a disgusted and horrified face.

"You--"

"There shouldn't be that many bacteria in it..." Tea's brows creased in contemplation. "Then again..."

Serenity quickly wiped her face on the closest thing to her -her soft quilt, which was already damp from the water that had dripped off into a tiny pool. "I need a bath."

"Of course, your highness." Tea curtseyed deeply and was rewarded for her fine acting with a down pillow in the face. The two girls laughed nervously and simultaneously took a trip to space in their thoughts. It wasn't until there was a knock at the door that Tea bolted straight as a board and the color drained from her face.

"Oh dear..."

"Princess?" a voice on the other side of the french marble doors called. "We are awaiting your arrival."

"She'll be ready in a moment!" Tea hollered back, minding to be as lady-like as possible. Without another word, she darted to the ivory wardrobe and pulled out the first thing her hands touched -a sienna gown.

"I can't go down like this!" Serenity cried out, motioning to her damp self. "Can't we tell them that I'm ill?"

"It may work." Tea tossed the dress on the bed. "Then again, you want to right wrongs with our King, am I correct?"

The events of last night came crashing back to her like a blow to the head with a hammer. Unfortunately, it didn't cause amnesia. "I think it's impossible. In fact... he knows there's something wrong with me..."

The faux-nurse froze. "What?"

"It's just because of the way I've been acting!" she hurriedly explained, tossing the quilt off of her and running to the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower -tell them to eat without me!"

"But your water--"

"I can get it myself..." She shouldn't get used to the luxurious life of a Princess -after all, it wouldn't last for very long.

* * *

Dressed in what royalty would call 'peasant's garb', Serenity snuck down the spiraling stony stairs, careful to make as little noise as possible. She had taken a route Tea had shown her, which was meant solely for maids to retrieve water. In her hand, she held large wooden bucket. Drops of water clung to it from her previous trips -only one more and she would be done.

It had been a bit difficult carrying the heavy buckets up what she could only assume were a hundred stairs, but she supposed that if any other scullery maid was capable of the feat, she should be as well. She had done so at home; however, they didn't nearly have as many stairs.

At the well, she dropped the buckets down, a cord hanging from the handle, and pulled it up with all of her might by twisting a handle from which the cord hung from. When the bottom of it touched the stone rim of the well, she released a sigh of relief, brushed back a loose piece of her auburn hair, untied the cord from the bucket and was ready to leave. However, upon turning around and glancing at the figure behind her, she screamed, knocked the bucket back down and then mourned the loss of it.

"What are you doing?" The King, her King, demanded, body language speaking nothing but hostility. "And what are you wearing?"

"I needed water," she blurted out, unable to think of any other excuse. Granted it was the truth, so one point went to her. Minus fifty, however, for getting caught.

"We have servants for that," he pointed out, his tone laced with disgust. His eyes swept to her fingers, which were reddened from her effort, to her hair, which had strands falling out of its ponytail hold. It was quite the contrast to his crimson tunic with golden cuff links and embroidery. There was no cape, no crown, and no staff -nothing to distinguish him from the other royalty.

"I didn't want to bother them..."

"It's their job. They want to be bothered."

She nodded obediently, too embarrassed to contradict him. They stood together in silence before Seto sighed in irritation and walked up to her. He reached down behind the well and pulled out another bucket. Tying the string to the handle, he effortlessly dropped it down the well and pulled it back up. The bucket was filled to the rim. It was then thrust into her stomach, where her hands instinctively wrapped around it.

Her pride wounded, Serenity slowly made her way up the stairs, all the while wondering what had happened. Shouldn't he have been dining with the rest of the palace nobles?

She was pleased to see Tea in her room when she entered. The girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking positively frightened. Upon sighting Serenity, she stood up and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"He didn't find you!" she exclaimed, a smile forming on her lips.

"The King?" Serenity interpreted and Tea nodded. "He found me."

Her smile degenerated to a frown. "Then--"

"He helped me retrieve this bucket of water after I knocked my own bucket down the well."

Tea's face fell further. "Oh dear..."

"You've been saying that a lot lately."

"I have reason to, don't you agree?"

Deciding not to answer, Serenity let herself into the bathroom and stripped off her clothing. Stepping into the bath, she flinched from its coldness, having forgotten about heating the water. She stood for a moment, staring at the numbing water before she lowered herself in completely, even drenching her hair. Her limbs and mind shuddered from the shock but quickly became accustomed to the temperature.

Slowly, she bathed, making sure not to think about anything negative. Her mind filled with thoughts about what her mother would be doing and her friends. She would be home soon and would make up an excuse that she, Joey and Mai had gone on a trip to the other side of the mountains. She had always wanted to see what was there. Very few travelers who had ventured to those regions chose to come back; apparently, the land was prosperous and magical, inhabited by elves, pixies and dwarves. She had even heard rumors about dragons.

Satisfied, Serenity was stepping out of the bath when there was a frantic knock at the door.

"Serenity?" Tea called out, her voice muffled. "You... hurry... door..."

"I can't hear you," Serenity called out, grabbing a towel. She wrapped it around herself and opened the door, only to be hit with the sienna gown.

"Put it on, now."

Tea was already coming at her with a corset and as she willingly dressed, Serenity inquired what the matter was.

"A messenger arrived at the door while you were bathing," she explained. "After the reaction at breakfast this morning when I announced you wouldn't be coming, I should have known..." She wrapped the lace of the corset around her fist and pulled.

"What--Oww!"

"You're getting engaged -now. In fact, there are going to be attendants there with smelling salts so that if you faint again, you are to be revived immediately."

Serenity wasn't given the chance to respond; a dozen maids entered her room without so much as a single knock. They swarmed her as they had last night and in an hour, she was an exact copy of herself from yesterday.

This time, the King was waiting for her at the top of the stairs. His attire was different, clad in a befitting royal blue suit with silver stitching. His crown was perched proudly and elegantly on his head, making him appear older than usual, and a large, silver cape hung from his shoulders.

When she reached him, he grabbed her by the left wrist and hurriedly pulled her down the stairs. With her free hand, she struggled to prevent tripping over the folds of her gown and nearly knocked into the King once at the bottom.

"Give me the ring," he ordered the High Priest, who seemed just as frightened as Serenity. Ring firmly between his thumb and forefinger, he jerked Serenity's wrist upward and slid the ring on. Earlier, she could feel heat radiating from the ring but had passed it off as her fear and panic playing tricks on her mind. However, now that the ring was fit perfectly on her finger, she released a scream of pain from the burning metal, which felt like fire on her skin.

Trembling, she looked down at the ring. The red scripture was glowing and she looked up in horror at the King, who was smirking, to her shock.

"It's a binding spell," he explained. Serenity's mouth opened slightly from horror and she glanced around the room. The patrons seemed quite casual, as if this was something that always occurred. She made an undistinguishable noise of panic and reached down to pull at the ring. When her fingers touched the metal, a sensation resembling an electric shock coursed through her arm and she would have fallen from the pain had the King not caught her by the waist.

"Let go of me!" she cried out, her voice unsteady. Once free of his hold, she wrapped her arms around herself and could feel tears running down her cheeks.

A binding spell

A binding spell.

A binding spell.

The words refused to leave her mind.

* * *

Led by the dull light of a lantern, Joey fumbled his way through the dark forest. The smell was overwhelming; a mix of mold and decayed leaves filled his lungs but by now, he was somewhat used to it. In fact, he was beginning to forget the scent of freshly baked bread or the warm sensation of the fire licking at logs in the fireplace. That was exactly where he believed those trees should have been -in the fire place being consumed by ...well... fire.

He sighed heavily, stepping into a puddle of mud.

The scenery wasn't much to boast about, either. Brown, dark green, black. Rinse, lather, repeat. If it got anymore interesting, he would have a premature heart attack and die. Actually, that sounded quite pleasing at the moment. After all, those tree branches seemed overly sinister.

"You're doing this for Mai," he told himself, as he had been doing for the past two weeks. It was one of the only things that kept him going. That and the thought of his sister being married off to King Seto. He shuddered not from the cold, but the thought of that regal bastard putting his hands on his little, adorable, innocent sister.

Why the hell had he been so stupid to disguise her as Mai?

Probably by now they were married.

Oh god.

And of course, she would have become queen.

Oh god.

And would have to had fulfilled her ... duties.

Oh god.

He paused, having half the mind to turn around and run straight back to save Serenity. But in the distance, he could almost hear Mai crying out for him to save her.

This wasn't right.

"Having some trouble?" a smooth, deep voice asked from the shadows. Joey shrieked in response and grabbed onto the first thing he could find -a tree trunk. When his heart stopped trying to break his ribs, he saw the figure had emerged. The man was young looking, probably in his early twenties, with skin the shade of fine chocolate. He clearly was not from their kingdom, carrying an exotic aura with him, examining Joey through mysterious light violet eyes. A cold breeze swept past them; however, the cloak and hood of the man was merely tousled and otherwise remained in place. Joey could have sworn that for a moment, he saw a shock of pale blonde hair but that seemed absurd. Perhaps those wild mushrooms he ate a day ago were getting to him.

"Naw, I'm okay..." Joey responded. More than anything, he wanted to beg the man to help him find the Black Rose, but there seemed to be something wrong with him. For one thing, he was traveling in the middle of the night without a single source of illumination. Secondly, his cloak was certainly not something to wear for even a late night stroll in the woods. Thirdly, he hadn't a single pack with him, although in his hand he held a golden object.

"You must be hungry, though," the man guessed, taking a step forward. Joey was ready to step back when a heavenly smell wafted through the air. It instantly filled his stomach while, at the same time, caused it to growl like a furious beast. The blacksmith's face turned crimson and he wrapped his arms around his belly.

"Heh heh... just a bit..." Serenity's food had only lasted for so long.

The left hand of the mysterious man lifted up and he procured a large, glorious, chocolate muffin. Joey could have sworn to see a celestial light being emitted from that heavenly muffin and reached out to take it. However, when his fingers were mere millimeters away, he hesitated.

"Why are you givin' this to me?" he questioned, eyes narrowing. The man offered a Cheshire-like grin.

"It gives me indigestion."

"Oh... okay." Joey reached for it again, but then stopped. "Wait a minute... what are you doin' here, anyway?"

For a moment, the grin seemed to falter but it came back in a moment. "I'm visiting my grandmother."

"In the woods?"

"She hates people..."

Joey seemed unconvinced.

"And has a horrible deformity."

It all still sounded really strange. In fact, the man's story reminded Joey of another story he had heard long ago. However, it seemed to be adding up. The man had goodies for his grandmother and bore a cape. It may not have been red, but color really didn't matter, did it?

Shrugging, Joey took the muffin.

* * *

(a/n: University sucks ass. Check out my C2 community. Review to motivate me. Dance to Backstreet's Back. Hug your Mom or Dad. Eat ice cream. Do your homework. Scratch that. Burn your homework.)______


	4. The Escape

a/n: Thanks a bunch to everyone who reviewed! Heh, everyone seemed to have two general reactions: 'A binding spell?!' and 'Joey, you moron! Don't take it!'. Well... heh. Read and see whether Joey really _is _a moron. Oh yes, I should have mentioned this in the previous chapter, but the guy's name is 'Roland'. I'm just a half-asleep moron. You should see my notes when I nod off in class. They make no sense whatsoever. I hope this chapter makes sense, though. I'm writing it while I'm waiting for my _Bleach_ anime to finish downloading. I suddenly realized that I wanted to make a _Bleach_ AMV and I happened to delete all the episodes I had watched beforehand. I'm such a genius.

On another note, yes, _...With the French Maid in Kaiba's Room!_ has been taken down. Apparently, I interacted too much with the readers and it contained explicit material well above the given rating. Whatever. If you want the story, Setine (bless her) has posted it up on my fanlisting.

Okay, on with the story!

* * *

Four- The Escape

He had left the Princess standing in shock in the hallway, feeling quite proud of himself. The spell had worked quite successfully and now he could rest assured that this wayward girl would become easily molded into the ideal wife, mother and queen.

"Your Majesty, I'm overcome with trepidation for the Princess," the Priest noted, casting a glance back at the would-be bride. Seto, despite himself, wanted to follow his gaze but knew she would be nursing her finger. He hoped it didn't hurt that badly -he was slightly startled by the way she had screamed. He had to admit, he hadn't seen a binding spell being cast on a woman. The pain part he was well informed of, however.

"Nothing comes easily," he responded coldly. "She'll be fine."

"Pardon my insolence, but I must bereave you to be gentle with her. Some women have become mindless from the effects of a binding spell--"

"I hardly intend to use it," Seto said, ignoring the bowing people as he and the Priest wove through the palace corridors. "I hope you have not forgottenwhy I wanted that spell implanted in the first place."

"Of course not, my liege, however--"

"I'm sick of hearing your bantering. Leave."

"As you wish."

_As I wish..._ Seto smirked from the words and suddenly, his mind was filled with the image of Mai bowing down to him and repeating that very sentence. She was beautiful -sinfully, even. He had to admit that his pulse hastened when he thought about his luck in acquiring such a beautiful wife. Most of the princesses were hardly something he would want to bear his children. He couldn't risk having his perfected alleles overpowered by flawed genes. No, his heirs would have to beperfect in all aspects. It was a pity that Mai was an idiot, though. He would have to keep the offspring away from her after their birth.

Between his fingers he rolled another ring, an addition to the enchanted one currently on her slim finger. Trepidation seized him suddenly and his eyes drifted down to the golden piece.

He didn't want to wait any longer.

lxl

A week in time, the 'princess' remained enclosed within her room, refusing all attempts to bring her out. Her finger still stung and ached; she found it difficult even to use her left hand. She found it difficult even tolook at her left hand. It still amazed, yet wrangled her, what had occurred that morning. The King seemed to have changed in an instant. There was a part of her that believed he was kind, and that had made her despair from knowing she was duping him. Yet when she had looked into his emotionless eyes, sorrow had transformed into fear. He had looked at her like she was a valued object. He had to secure her for himself before someone else chose to sully her immaculate self.

She had no choice but to remain. She was sinking within a vessel, clawing at the window and catching a glimpse of the faint rays of sunlight as her last breath came out like snow and she fell into darkness. Her fate was inescapable, and she found herself crying, knowing that her brother would never come upon the Black Rose. Everything that had the possibility of twisting into an unfavorable end was fitting together perfectly.

"Princess, eat something!" one of the maids urged from the other side of the door. "Our Majesty is becoming quite irate in concern for your health."

Serenity remained with her head buried in Tea's lap, allowing the older woman to stoke her soft hair.

"Princess!"

"I'm not... I'm not..." she whispered, turning her face slightly to the side. Her eyes were bloodshot and stinging, but the pain was nothing in comparison to her burning finger. The skin around the ring had become reddened, raw and sickeningly attached onto the band; she knew the only way to free herself was to cut her own finger off. Any women who was free and had been inflicted with a binding spell was easily recognizable because of it.

A missing ring finger.

"Shh..." Tea soothed, although Serenity could hear the faint break in her voice.

Tea had been silent since hearing about what had occurred earlier on. She had willingly accompanied Serenity to the castle in an act of stupidity, and she had no one to blame but herself for what had happened. Anyone intelligent would have quickly known that posing as royalty would have dire consequences.

Tea's eyes filled with tears in sympathy for the girl. She was still so young and had never experienced the gift of being in love. She wanted to believe that there was still hope; however, regardless of the situation being so entirely convoluted, one fact remained, clear as the soft sky above them: she would die. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then eventually, well before her time. There was only so long they could keep the secret before someone realized the truth.

"I shan't do this.." Serenity whispered, her slender hands clenching into tight fists. Her facial muscles tightened and suddenly, an expression developed that Tea had only seen once on Joey before he left in search of the Black Rose. "I cannot do this to my kingdom and my King."

"Then what?"

A knock on the door broke the tense moment and Tea hesitated for a moment before answering it. An impatient Roland stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and expression pensive.

"Miss Tea, I request for your assistance regarding the upcoming wedlock of our King and your Princess," he said, unfolding his arms and gesturing with his hand for her to follow him. "Please accompany me immediately."

"Sir, the Princess--"

"One of the maids will attend to her," he said briskly, cutting off Tea. Tea cast Serenity a sympathetic and apologetic look before nodding and reluctantly followed the King's right-hand man. Tea's quick submission filled Serenity with further doubt and she clutched onto the silk sheets of the bed as if hoping to sink into the mattress.

How would she ever get out of this alive?

The door closed lightly behind them and Serenity, very un-princess-like, buried her face into the silken sheets. It was her own specialized way of thinking, one she never chose to question.

The wedding was tomorrow, from her foggy recollection. That would give her a night to perhaps sneak out of the castle and, by chance, to find her brother and explain to him the trouble she was in. Her brother, of course, would be very understanding and allow her to run away, perhaps to the Amethyst Mountains and there she would live with the inhabitants -the elves. She wouldn't fit in very well, but anything was possible...

"Princess, sorry to disturb you--"

Serenity sat up with a start and covered her face to hide the redness, amazed that she hadn't noticed three maids come in.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" she found herself snapping but quickly returned to covering her face with her hands with the remark. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."

"We're very sorry, Princess, but the King has ordered for the wedding to be tonight--"

"What?" Instantly, her hands fell down and her heart began to beat viciously within her chest. Air became desolate and unobtainable for her and she suddenly found herself leaning on her hands in an attempt to breathe. Two maids rushed to her while the other disappeared to most likely get help from a nurse. They rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her, not understanding the true intent of Serenity's partial collapse.

Instead of Tea returning as Serenity had hoped, another woman had been summoned. She was older and quite robust, carrying an unpleasant disposition with her as she approached. The maids were chased out to retrieve medicinal herbs, oils and smelling salts while Serenity was left alone in the room with her.

"My dear, this is no time to be ill," the woman stated in a croaky, worn voice. Her large hands stripped away the upper half of Serenity's gown and she started for a moment, noticing her skin not to be ivory and flawless, but tanned and marred. She raised a brow in question but said nothing, focusing on mixing oils, which she would spread on the girl's back.

"Please tell the King I cannot marry him tonight," Serenity whispered while the woman massaged her back with the oils. The woman snorted indignity.

"That one is stubborn. The sooner he marries you, the sooner your Kingdom is his," she explained. "The sooner an heir is produced, the sooner he can rest in peace."

Serenity bit her bottom lip with the mentioning of an heir. "...What do you mean, 'rest in peace'?"

"Wha...? What kind of education did you get, girl? Honestly!" The woman shook her head, the brown curls that escaped her bonnet bouncing. "Without an heir, King Seto will not be recognized as a ruler, should he die. It's quite complicated, one of the first things you should have learned, girly. Especially with your brother involved."

"My...brother?"

"Oh, I see..." She stopped rubbing Serenity's back and re-capped the oil flask. After, she spoke while re-buttoning up Serenity's gown. "You don't consider Prince Yami as your brother."

_Prince Yami..._The name sounded vaguely familiar.

"I do!" she protested, although she hardly knew Mai's true stance about her 'brother'. Serenity didn't even know that Mai had a brother! "But...what does my brother have to do with anything?"

"That's enough talk for today," the woman replied, deliberately avoiding Serenity's question. "The girls will have a bath for you ready and after that, they will dress you in your wedding attire."

Even before the woman left the room the maids poured in like a tiny army. They were confident and prepared in their battle tactics, efficiently getting Serenity into the bath and forcing her into the wedding gown. As they styled her hair, she observed herself in the ivory encased mirror, which she presumed belonged to a beautiful woman of far higher class than her. Had an actual princess sat in this stool before her? Perhaps even a Queen?

Serenity certainly did look the role, covered in the vanilla white gown. The lace collar reached up to her neck, almost making her want to rip it off, while the gown bore an enormous train, probably placed there so future brides had no option to run. Golden embroidery and stitching graced the gown, and a golden lace-up bodice was pulled tight enough to rival her corset. Her sleeves similarly had a lace-up style pattern, the golden thread stopping where the sleeves covering her shoulder puffed out extravagantly. Her hair, on the other hand, was halfway down. The upper half was styled in braids and pearls, which would support the veil. Two lilies were placed on either side of her head right above her ears and the only thing Serenity observed was that the flowers would welt soon.

Once satisfied, the maids accompanied Serenity to the Bride's Room, a scarcely entered room located on the third floor of the palace. It was placed right above the grand stairs, allowing for a majestic entrance for the bride when the twin doors opened. The maids, save for one, abandoned her once inside and Serenity sat on one of the plush, while velvet draped chairs, looking out of the window. The Bride's Room felt like more of a prison for her and had a haunting aura. Portraits of previous brides hung about the room, the latest a picture of a beautiful woman with chestnut hair and amethyst eyes. She was smiling brightly, dressed in a gown more regal than Serenity's and with her hair gallantly up, held by what seemed to be dozens of strands of pearls.

The maid followed her gaze but said nothing, remaining still in the corner of the room. Other than the portraits, there was nothing else interesting. A vanity table with a silver toilette set stood across from where Serenity was sitting but that was it.

She returned her gaze back to the window, where she received a clear view of the front of the castle. Noblemen and women came by in their carriages, assisted out by the servants of the castle. Ten minutes passed and the scene remained steadily the same. By now, she had accepted her fate and decided she would tell the King that she wasn't Princess Mai the moment she exited the room. There was no use telling anyone else -they would merely laugh at her. Now the only problem was producing proof that her words were truth.

Deliberating, she was lost within her mind until a commotion caught her attention outside. Standing up from her chair, she noticed men screaming for people to get out of the way and carrying what seemed to a golden haired man on a horse. The man was draped horizontally on the animal, bouncing lifelessly and Serenity gasped, believing the man to be dead. But then why would they bring him to the palace?

The horse carrying him stopped and the guards raced up and pulled the man off. One guard carried him by his legs and another by the arms, allowing Serenity a full view of his face.

The man was none other than her older brother, Joey Wheeler.

lxl

In less than an hour, King Seto would have his Queen and along with that, the full rights to the throne. He smirked openly with the thought and a few of the noblewomen sighed with dismay at the loss of such a handsome King. Indeed he appeared as regal, charming and dashing as ever, dressed in a cream white suit with rich blue embroidery, a high collar, and knee high blue boots. A sapphire blue cape hung from his shoulders and from his hip, a golden handled sword with a sparkling sapphire encrusted in the middle.

He squeezed his glove covered hand tightly, blue eyes sharply focused on the stairwell from which his new bride would descend. He hoped that the maids listened to his request about the gown -he wanted to make sure the moment she stepped out, breaths would become stifled from her beauty. Of course, he didn't care about what affect she had on him, just as long as the noblemen and women were taken back by her stunning features and the Princess would smile prettily and marry him quietly.

"Brother," Mokuba said softly, stepping up beside him. He was dressed in a regal sky blue tunic and a dark blue cape similar to his brother's. He had wished to wield a sword as well, and after much deliberation, Seto allowed for a thin light rapier to hang from Mokuba's waist. With his unruly onyx hair tied back with a matching blue ribbon, Mokuba certainly appeared gallant, causing most of the heartbroken younger ladies to brighten up with the thought of marrying him instead. He, of course, avoided any attempt at contact from the girls and usually ended up hiding from them in peculiar places, such as under the massive stairwell or in the kitchen. "I wish you luck on your marriage to the Princess."

"I'm in no need for luck," Seto murmured, looking down to the velvety red carpet. "Nothing can go wrong, and as our predecessors wed, so shall I."

"The throne will be yours." Mokuba's statement was made with a tone of detachment, causing Seto's eyes to drift to his brother's withdrawn countenance. He felt his throat tighten up from Mokuba's withdrawn and solemn expression and he frowned, an anger beginning to consume him.

"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked, his voice unnaturally calm. When Mokuba raised his gaze to his older brother's, he have a barely noticeable nod.

"A Kingdom secured through a loveless bond... of course."

"Mokuba..."

The boy forced a smile and bowed to his older brother. "Forgive my previous words, Brother."

Seto barely had the time to respond when the Priest and Roland entered the hall, both bearing heavy expressions of grief and even horror. Judging from Roland's frequent glances back at the Priest, he had willed to hurry but was slowed down by the elderly man.

"Your Majesty," he spoke after bowing deeply, his voice trembling. "T-there's been a discovery in the Northern Forest. A man has been found, unconscious by no natural means."

"It's the work of the Dark Arts," the Priest spoke, having caught up to the pair. "This man is unable to be revived."

King Seto's eyes widened and his pulse raced from the mention of the Dark Arts. He had heard many tales involving the wicked nature of Black Majik, but never had he actually been involved with someone who had been affected by it. Panicked, he addressed Roland, "What have you done with the body?"

"We've brought him to the castle," Roland explained, praying silently that the King would not become angered. Quickly, he explained the motive. "We thought with the most powerful apothecary residing within the palace walls, it was the most sensible thing to do. We also couldn't risk any of the peasants or nobles discovering this vile deed."

The King nodded slowly, feeling himself become numb. "The wedding, then?"

"It's a bad omen," the Priest said darkly.

"No, it must commence. It will commence." He gritted his teeth and turned his back to the two men. "Carry on with the preparations and make sure no one else discovers about the body."

"As you wish; however, we strongly suggest that you come with us to see the body."

Seto's jaw began to ache from the pressure he was exerting on his teeth. Following a reluctant nod, he accompanied them to see the man that would potentially ruin his wedding day.

lxl

Serenity watched from the room, the door cracked open slightly as not to reveal her spying. Biting on her lower lip, she watched with trepidation as the King was approached by the Priest and another man. Their expressions seemed very grave and she noticed the King's arm raise up as if shielding himself in reaction to what they told him. Immediately afterward, he followed them out of the main hall, leaving no one in the room except for the maids and stewards that raced in and out with preparations.

Glancing back into her room, Serenity's heart felt heavy when she knew there was no other way out. She would have to somehow sneak out through the main hall and straight past the rushing servants. Perhaps if she ran fast enough, they wouldn't be able to stop her. Driven by her need to see her brother and her fear of what may have happened to him, she gathered the white folds of her gown in one hand and dashed out of the room and down the stairs. The servants gave startled gasps when she raced away from them, her veil flowing behind her along with her hair, appearing like the flames of fire consuming snow.

Once out of the hall, she was lost, unable to fathom where she should turn next. She continued to run without heed or knowledge, fearing she would be discovered. Winding through halls, she almost felt like crying but with great effort, held back her tears and attempted to think rationally. Where would they have taken her brother?

The sudden sound of voices caused her heart to hammer painfully in her chest and she quickly hid in a small groove where an ivory statue of Neptune had been placed. Pressing up closely to the statue, the sound of her heart beat had filled her ears and she attempted to steady her mind in order to hear what they were saying.

"...Northern Wing is locked off," a male voice spoke.

"Ridiculous! What should happen if someone fell ill?" another one responded, sounding far more irritated than his companion.

"Well, they said it was only..."

Once they had passed her without noticing her presence, Serenity waited until they were out of sight before she squeezed out from her hiding space. While she ran, the train of her gown made a loud swishing noise against the floor and she cursed it, hoping that no one was within hearing range. It was a stroke of luck that she had heard the snippet of the conversation. From what she gathered, the Northern Wing was only temporarily locked off, and was usually a place for someone ill to be treated. Certainly, her brother would be no exception. Why else would they bring him to the palace?

Having resided in the palace, she knew enough about the geography to pinpoint the exact location of the Northern Wing. It was on the complete opposite end from where she was and it would take some time for her to get there. Swiftly she ran, being careful not to be noticed by servants and avoiding the wandering nobles who had shown up for the wedding. A few times she paused, resting against the cold walls to catch her breath, and by the time she had reached the Northern Wing, she was thoroughly exhausted.

The Northern Wing topped the list of places she avoided when traveling through the palace. It branched into three corridors, the sides ones containing staircases leading up and the middle one having two heavy wooden twin doors that seemed out of place when compared to the rest of the palace. She swallowed heavily and nervously approached the middle doors. Certainly, the guards wouldn't go through the trouble of carrying Joey up the stairs. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard muffled voices coming from within and her heart sank further when she realized it would be impossible to see her brother. He would be guarded all night and the King was within the room at this very moment.

When she felt pressure exerted on the door, she quickly scampered to the left stairwell and prayed that the darkness would aptly conceal her. The men that exited were too engrossed in their conversation to suspect any lurkers and spoke animatedly, waving their hands and raising their voices.

"I've never seen anything like it!" one of the men said, the one she faintly recognized from the wedding hall. "The man was completely entranced. It could be decades before he awakens."

"I wonder whether he'll age," the other man responded, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "It's quite an enchantment."

"Do you suppose the apothecary would be able to revive him?"

The other man shook his head. "Nay, he needs the Black Rose."

"He's a goner. No one would risk their life for some nobody."

"But he will be an interesting study. In a week, I shall approach the King and ask whether I may..."

Serenity dropped to the foot of the stairs, wishing she hadn't heard their conversation. With a hand to her chest, she attempted to breathe but found the simple task unbelievably challenging. What had happened to Mai had happened to her own brother -he was under the wizard's spell and only she could break it by retrieving the Black Rose. Reason dashed out of her mind in an instant and she sped from the stairwell without heed. Thus, she was shocked to hear footsteps behind her and a man shouting at her. Panic consuming her, she couldn't decipher his words and didn't bother turning around to see him. Instead, she dashed around a corner and was elated to see a small window, large enough for her to squeezed through.

With skill, she leaped up on the sill and pushed herself through. Her beautiful wedding gown tore but she didn't care -saving her brother was her only priority. Once out, she tore off her veil and ran through the palace grounds, wondering how she would be able to leave without having to take the main gate. Looking around frantically, she was alarmed to hear a loud horn sounding and the guards not far from her rushing within the palace and to their respective positions. Realizing she had no other choice, Serenity lay low near an old elm tree and waited until the last carriage passed the gate. Then, she darted out. She was almost to the gate when a strong hand clamped down on her wrist and she cried out, spinning around.

It was the King himself, his blue eyes shades darker and emitting a frightening fury.

"Where the hell are you going?" he hissed, jerking her against him. Her upper arm blazed with pain and she winced for a moment before conjuring up her strength. Elbowing her King in the stomach, she startled him enough to make him release her and rushed nearly blindly to the mess of trees. There, she quickly selected one with low branches and climbed up, as she had done many times before when she was young in search of fruit. Looking down, she saw the King had noticed her plan and had opened the gates to confront her after she leapt over the wall. The guards, meanwhile, seemed completely ignorant to the situation. Granted, the gates were quite far from the entrance, there were no guards standing near it and the only two she could see were small enough to eat. She supposed a magical ward must have been placed on the gates to avert intruders, and the rest of the guards were within the palace, there to prevent anyone else from coming within. Little did they know that their problem was to keep her inside.

Closing her eyes, she whispered a quick prayer before scampering across the branch that reached out nearest to the wall. Then, she jumped a small distance and landed perfectly on her stomach across top of the wall.

Standing up after she caught her breath and assuring herself that her ribs weren't broken, she ripped off the train of her gown quickly. Then, knowing she had no other choice, ran to the very end of the wall before jumping off and landing painfully on the ground. With no time to recover, she gathered her gown up again and ran across the emerald field, straight toward the forest.

She wasn't sure how long she had ran, her aching legs automatically leaping one in front of another and pain a distant memory. Her throat had become raw and her stomach clenched with every step, but she couldn't stop. When she finally stopped, she realized with horror that she was within the dank depths of the forest. The bottom of her dress was soiled and before her, only darkness awaited.

lxl

**R**you Bakura lay in the dungeon, busily braiding his hair. He had already searched the entire dank area in hope to find a secret escape passage -unfortunately for him, the King even tended to the dungeon once a month and made sure that the area was completely sealed.

By now he had accepted the fact that he would die in this dungeon, all because he spoke to the prince about things in life thatmattered. Like love. It was a shame he would never see his beloved again; not that it mattered -she was a peasant, and if he married her, the King would have killed him, anyway.

A sudden scratching sound drew him out of his thoughts and from his braiding. He paused, white hair in hand, and listened carefully.

_Scratch..._

_Scratch..._

_Click, click, click._

_Wham...._

.....Wham?!

Ryou darted up, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest from both hope and fear. The figure approached him quickly, barely visible in the clouded light that streamed from the only window in the darkness. The footsteps were dainty and light, making more of a slapping noise than clomping. A female. And not just any female...

"Ryou!" she cried out, draping her arms around his neck upon contact. His face was flushed from the sensation of her graciously endowed bosom pressing against his chest, something he hadn't felt for months.

Instead of wearing her typical flourished gown, she was dressed in a drab maid's attire and her beautiful chestnut hair was concealed by a bonnet. However, he would recognize that soft-featured face and those stunning blue eyes anywhere.

"Tea.. how did you...?"

"No time!" Tea cried out, taking his hand. "I knocked out the guard long enough for us to--"

Their pathway, however, was blocked by the guard, conscious and furious. He trembled for a moment before sadistically grinning, revealing his shockingly white teeth which clashed ghastly against his soot covered face, and slammed the door on them.

_____

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a/n: Yay, Serenity the acrobat and master escape artist! Look forward to the next chapter, where I return to humor! All this angst was making me depressed...and sleepy... passes out on the keyboard _


	5. The Hermit

a/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It's very inspiring and forces me to get of my ass and write. Although technically, I'm writing this while sitting on my ass in the campus library. Yay. It's kinda hard with people talking around me, but oh well. Can't complain. Anyway, sorry for the long wait. Kinda busy with school -like the rest of you should be! Just kidding!_

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**Five- The Hermit**

Within the forest, Serenity felt such fear that she almost desired to be back within the castle and at the alter, prepared to marry the King. No sooner had she ran a few feet that she became succumb by darkness. She stumbled many times, caught her wedding dress on branches and left torn pieces of the while silk wherever she went.

It felt like night. The branches and dark green leaves of the trees created almost a shelter from the sky, allowing little to no sunlight to penetrate in. The result was an infestation of mould, bacteria and perhaps animals that would tear her to pieces within a second.

It came to a point when her legs could no longer move in a straight line and she stumbled more than she ran. Her increased breathing caused her throat to become raw and now it stung with every breath of the chilling air. It felt like night in all aspects, but she knew above her, the sun shone strongly.

Exhausted, she slowed in her pace and eventually leaned against the thick trunk of a tree. Her eyes scanned her surroundings and she realized with horror that she would have to endure this forest for perhaps days before she would find the Black Rose. She suppressed a sob at the thought of her brother's trials, all for nothing. Would she meet the same unfortunate end?

Suddenly determined to save the lives of both Mai and Joey, Serenity pushed herself off from the trunk and began to run again. She only stopped when seized by hunger, but was too weary to eat anything from the forest. It didn't matter, anyway. Everything appeared to be decaying, like the forest itself was dying.

When overcome by exhaustion, she sat down against the trunk of the least menacing looking tree and slept lightly. Before, she had been disgusted by the moss and dirt surrounding her but now, she readily pressed her fingers into the mud to help herself get up.

'I'm going around in circles...', she thought, glancing around. Everything seemed the same, no matter where she went. There was no source of illumination for her, nothing that could help her find her way. She continued blindly until she heard rustling and a figure moving toward her at a frightening speed.

Terrified that she would die within the dismal forest by a flesh-eating beast, she released a choked sob and began taking steps back. In an unfortunate discovery, the ground below her gave way and she fell into what could only have been a trap. The dirt hole was shallow enough for a beast to be captured within and for a human to escape out; however, Serenity's foot had landed in a haphazard position, resulting in a searing pain shooting up her leg. On impulse, she cried out but felt as if her voice was swallowed up by the wood.

"Why you would run into this forest is beyond my comprehension," a deep voice said, almost warming her despite her fear of the owner. Looking up, she could see the King peering down at her as he rested in a crouched position. In the darkness, she could see that his hair was ruffled as if teased by fingers from all directions. His previously handsome wedding attire was blackened and on his cheeks, he had smudges of dirt. She would have considered it unbearably cute had it not been for her current situation.

She said nothing, waiting for him to continue, perhaps even rant about her. He watched her for a moment, chin propped up on his fist, before finally speaking again.

"I wonder whether I should simply leave you in there." From the lack of a smile on his face, he was seriously contemplating his words. Stricken by fear, Serenity attempted to get up to protest but released a piercing cry when she exerted weight on her right foot.

"A girl should not be running into a forest alone."

"I understand, but please, it was something I had to do."

"Run from your marriage to me?"

Her mouth opened and then closed, words refusing to form or leave. Instead, everything she wished, yet feared, to tell him gathered in a large bundle within her chest and pushed until it hurt.

"No," she lied, her answer coming out in a broken stutter. "No."

"Then why are you here, within a place that frightens even the bravest people?"

"I came for someone I love," she answered and the King's expression became dark. He then tensed up and slowly drew away from the cavern, leaving her with only the faint outline of him in the darkness.

"Unfaithful wench," he breathed and Serenity could feel the claws of panic take hold of her by the throat.

"No!" she cried out, wishing she could look at him directly in the eye. "It's my brother! My brother is in grave danger!"

"Prince Yami?"

_'That name again...'_ She nodded vigorously despite bearing ignorance regarding the name. "Yes."

"And what danger threatens our illegitimate Prince?" King Seto questioned in a soft tone. There was a flicker of astray sunlight across his face, illuminating the sharp blues of his eyes. The darkness seemed to compliment him perfectly, edging comfortably into the caverns of his eyes and into the grooves beneath his high cheekbones. And yet, she still found him lovely -perhaps the handsomest King that had blessed their Kingdom through rule. It was a pitty, however, that his personality could not reflect his outer beauty.

"Well?" he prompted when she didn't reply.

"Ah... yes...Well..." Did she dare feed him the story about the wizard? Panicked, she found no other option. "There is a wizard after him."

"Wizard?" The word was spoken with such loathing that Serenity found herself flinching. He continued in the same ominous tone, like he was pouring the core of his hatred into every word. "Magic is forbidden, Princess Mai. One would be a fool to become involved in a dispute with a wizard. Nonetheless a wizard exposing himself in order to kill a Prince -It's a ghastly and odious crime, one which no man would be stupid enough to tangle himself in."

The chill of the night began to overcome her and she cuddled into a ball on the ground in an attempt to keep warm. No longer was she able to continue her conversation with the King -if he chose to leave her there, so be it. "My ankle is broken, My King. Help me if you desire so but if not, please leave."

"Princess," the King said after a pregnant pause. The wind wailed and screamed as it blew past him, ruffling his already ruined hair. Leaves careened past him and bits of dirt rose from their slumber to accompany the wind. "Take my hand."

Without expressing her discomfort and pain, she reached up while leaned on her good leg. Their fingertips brushed against one another, touched, then linked. Exerting a low grunt, King Seto leaned out further and seized her by the arm with his other hand. Using both hands, he pulled her up and then grasped her around the waist when she was high enough. Roughly, he plunked her down on the ground and then surveyed his bride.

Never had he witnessed a woman in worse condition than she was at this moment. Her previously immaculate white wedding gown was destroyed, painted with dirt and ripped apart in cruelty. The hem had become mere shreds. Her hair was tousled and wild, like she had never used a brush before in her lifetime, and any sign that her skin was white was gone.

Currently, she was cradling her ankle, squeezing her eyes tightly in pain and gritting her teeth. She made slight sounds, the beginning of cries, and paid him no heed. He, however, would not let go of her story so readily.

"You never responded to my last statement, Princess," he voiced calmly. "I await your answer."

"If I must..." she managed, pausing in between for breaths. "The wizard wills to kill Prince Yami because he... he desires the throne."

"Really..."

"Yes, really. It's a complicated matter that I do not wish to discuss at the moment. We 'are' in the middle of a forest and if you haven't noticed, I am in excruciating pain right now."

"We ought to take you to a healer," the King muttered and without a warning, he scooped her up into his arms and began to walk.

"Where are we going?" Serenity demanded, looking around almost wildly.

The King emitted an irritated noise through the back of his throat and let go of her for a brief moment. Serenity had enough time to scream before he caught her right before she hit the ground. When her frightened eyes searched his for a reason for his action, she met with nothing but a blank stare. "I do not like to repeat myself."

"I am not going to the healer!" she cried out but then screamed again, this time in pain, when the King squeezed her ruined ankle.

"I think you are going."

"You're a sadist!"

"And you, a moron."

"Then why do you will to marry me?"

"It was arranged."

"You could refute it."

"I wish not."

"Why?"

When she felt his hold loosening on her again, she tightened her told around his neck for dear life. Deciding it would not be wise to continue with her questioning, Serenity remained silent while she allowed herself to be carried by the King.

They walked for quite a while before the King stopped and looked around.

"You're lost, aren't you?"

"I am not!" he insisted stubbornly. He turned left and continued to walk. His previously powerful hold on her began to diminish gradually and he would toss her up slightly to gain a more adventurous position. However, it would only last before so long before he began to shift her again.

"I can't do this," he muttered after some time. Kneeling down while still holding her, he asked her if she could climb onto his back. She attempted, but her wedding gown was so puffy that it was impossible for her to wrap her legs around him. Fed up, the King grabbed the white fabric near her knee and ripped it, exposing her legs up to her thighs.

"You pervert!" Serenity cried out, automatically raising her hand and smacking the King across the face. The smack left almost a twisted resonating sound throughout the forest and they stayed in their awkward positioning (Serenity with her hand in mid-air and King Seto with his face to the side) before the King gingerly touched his raw and reddened cheek. When he winced, Serenity found herself doing the same.

"I...I didn't mean it!" Serenity found herself crying out when a pair of angered eyes met hers.

"You _slapped _me," the King growled in response. Serenity knew he would be more furious if he discovered her true identity. A princess slapping a King was one thing -a peasant slapping a King was a completely different story. She could imagine the scene when the truth about her emerged.

'You? A peasant! And you SLAPPED me! OFF WITH HER HEAD!'

Of course, she knew beheadings were quite primeval but he would most likely make an exception for her. Unconsciously, her hands drifted to her neck and she winced yet again.

The King, meanwhile, was attempting to understand his current situation. His bride had run off, notably on their wedding day, and had just slapped him across the cheek. Him. The King. The blue blooded powerful monarch who could have her executed if he chose.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she cried out, reaching out as if to touch him but then quickly drawing away. Tears began to well in her sweet little muddy brown eyes and her typically pink cheeks turned to crimson. King Seto found himself rightfully disgusted by her toothache-inducing cuteness and turned away from her.

"Mark my word, you will pay for this," he hissed. "Maybe I should just leave you here in the forest..."

"No!" Serenity found herself protesting, despite wanting to get away from the King desperately. What was wrong with her? Leaving her here would be exactly what she needed. Alone, she would be able to pursue the Black Rose without any questions. Or in the King's case, being dragged off to be married.

"Then get on my back quickly. Perhaps if we reach the Kingdom by morning, we can continue with the matrimony."

Serenity blanched and found herself crawling away from him backwards like a crab. When he cast a Machiavellian glance over his shoulder, she instantly stopped and offered him a weary smile. "O-okay..."

As if climbing onto the back of a slimy eel, Serenity winced, made faces and little whimpers escaped her mouth. One thing the King had done right was ripping the skirt of her gown in the middle; now she was able to wrap her legs around his waist, which he held with his hands. Hoisting her up, he began to walk in a direction neither of them knew.

lxl

"And so, I said to him, 'I would rather have that apple' and he replied, 'Okay'. After I ate the apple, I went back to my corner, the one over there covered with cobwebs, and fell asleep. So, that's what I did on Saturday," Ryou explained, nodding to himself. Tea rubbed her eyes in yet another attempt to prevent herself from falling asleep and offered him a lazy smile.

"Oh... that's so...uhm..."

"Boring?"

"I'm afraid so..."

lxl

Malik trudged through the forest, yet _again_, swatting away branches and rodents with his staff and cursing all the while to himself. After spending days looking for that oaf, Joseph Wheeler, he had finally managed to fool him (quite easily, too) into eating the enchanted chocolate muffin after feeding him some ridiculous story about a misanthropist grandmother. The ordeal was quite amusing, especially when the idiot began to hack and eventually passed out on the ground, never to be awoken again. It send fuzzy warm feelings coursing through him.

However, his happiness was hastily shortened the moment he returned to the patron who had hired him.

_ Echoing footsteps resounded through a deserted and clammy hall as a figure hurried by, despite the bile forming in his throat and the piercing throbbing in his temples, all a result of fear. When the guards monitoring the chamber doors saw him, they stepped out of the way, their own bodies beginning to excrete sweat at a rapid pace. _

_ Another figure sat on a throne in the room, arms crossed in irritation and legs crossed, the overbearing leg bouncing to an invisible beat. When the man entered the room, the figure raised his maroon eyes and the man nearly started. His heart began to beat fiercely from the expression of hope he had witnessed and he had to fight his instincts to run off._

_ "Well?" the figure asked, his young voice almost soothing. He uncrossed the tangle of his arms and leg, then leaned forward in anticipation._

_"She's not... " He took in a deep breath. "She's not dead."_

_Silence._

_'Damn nature...'_ he thought, stopping for a moment to glare at a squirrel that had innocently crossed his path. He attempted to zap it with his Dark Majik but missed horribly and ended up blasting a tree to smithereens.

lxl

A loud sound, like something had blown up, awoke Serenity and she looked around groggily before remember where she was and _who _she was on.

"Do you want to rest?" she asked and stubbornly, the King refused.

"What I want is to get out of here as quickly as possible."

The scenery still looked the same as it had for... how long ago was it? She certainly couldn't tell. What she did know was that she was starving. With the thought, her stomach grumbled loudly and the King looked questionably over his shoulder.

"I'm so-"

"Stop apologizing," he said irritably. "I'm actually quite hungry as well..." He stopped, scanning his surroundings before taking in a sharp breath. Adjusting his hold on her, King Seto began walking at a faster pace.

"Did you find something, my lord?" Serenity asked softly, praying that he wouldn't snap at her. After all, he had just told her to stop apologizing, so if she did something wrong, she was done for.

"Smoke," he emitted and Serenity lifted her head from his shoulders to see a thin trail of light smoke snaking roughly a mile from where they were.

King Seto's pace never slowed and in fact, it hastened when they neared the smoke. Soon, they entered a clearing where the sun finally shone. Serenity leaned her head back, basking in the sunlight, and even a smile came onto the King's typically tight lips.

In the middle of the clearing lay a small house built entirely by stone. Apprehensively, the King approached it. Everything seemed fairly normal -clothes were drying on a log near a fire, where the smoke was coming from, and there was even a small goat bouncing around and braying.

"It's so cute!" Serenity cried out at the sight of it. When she reached out to touch it, although it was obviously impossible with her height on King Seto's shoulders, the King smacked her hand away.

"We need to find out who's living here, not play with goats!" he scolded. "Gods, you remind me of a peasant at times..."

At the mentioning of her true identity, Serenity gulped and decided it would be safe if she shut her mouth.

The King, oblivious to Serenity's nervous countenance, approached the door of the house and knocked lightly with his knuckles. The door opened upon contact and he stepped inside.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice barely penetrating the thick, herbal smoke inside. "Where is the owner of this dwelling?"

There was some scuffling, a rattling of some sorts, and then a rather tall, elegant looking man emerged. Both the King and Serenity were taken back by the sight of him, having been expecting a dwarf, elf or even an old woman -certainly not a young, even handsome looking man. His hair was entirely silver and let loose, not tied back appropriately. He had a distinguished elongated face, stood higher than the King with his lean frame and wore peculiar clothing -a salmon colored jacket with matching pants, completed by a ruffled shirt and a small, thin bow tie. But what was most strange about him were his eyes. One bore a golden iris, appearing almost feline; however, his left eye was covered entirely by his long hair. It may have been a bizarre fashion statement, but it certainly provoked curiosity within the young girl and even the King.

"Ooh, I have guests!" the man squealed, clapping his hands together in exuberance. His tone was high for a man, almost like the constant pitch of a giggle. His eye glittered and made saccadic movements from Serenity to the King and then back again. "Exciting wedding night?"

Serenity squeaked when the King squeezed her in ire and before she could even attempt to prevent him from saying something offensive, he exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM! DOES IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE THE TYPE WHO WOULD ENJOY DOING... DOING _THAT _IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS!"

The man shrugged, disconcerted. "Some people can surprise you..." Turning his back to them, he began to walk away.

"HEY! WE NEE-"

To Serenity's astonishment, she found herself slapping a hand over the King's. "Please, Sir. I've injured my leg and would-"

"No worries!" He instantly turned around, smiling broadly once more and they could have sworn he had pink sparkles floating about his head. "I would do anything for a pretty girl!"

Serenity could feel a deep rumbling and realized that King Seto was growling. "Come, let me have a look!" When he stepped up and held his arms out, the King took a weary step back.

"Do you even know who I am?" he demanded, blue eyes blazing in fury. The man shrugged again with the same unaffected look.

"Some peasant. Now, hand the girl to me-"

King Seto swung her out of the man's reach. "Are you an imbecile? I am the King of this Land!"

The man blinked. "The King? Why Sir, you may be the King in another land, but in this one, there is no ruler."

"The entirety of the Emerald Forest is under my rule!" King Seto insisted, almost dropping Serenity in his fury.

"Sit down, boy. You're going to drop her in the state you're in-"

"No one tells me what to do!"

"Ouch, temper, temper..." The man shook one of his hands as his shaking water from it. Scrupulously, he gestured to the wine colored couch. The King hesitated for a moment but then unceremoniously dropped Serenity onto it as if ridding himself of excess baggage. The man instantly moved to her and knelt down beside her laying form while she attempted to recovered from her plunge.

"Now, where is it that you are injured-"

"Listen, you queer, I want to know exactly why you fail to acknowledge me as your King," the King interrupted. Serenity sighed, having a feeling that she wouldn't be attended to unless this man explained his previous words.

The man closed his eyes. "I would prefer is you call me Pegasus," he addressed the King. He then turned to Serenity and took her hand. "You, my dear, may call me Maximillion-"

"That is the future Queen you're toying with," the King informed, irate at Pegasus's flirtatious nature. Pegasus blinked again, appearing more confused than before.

"Queen?" he said, looking from King Seto and Serenity. "Why, I sense no blue blood from her."

Following those words, Serenity felt like her heart had stopped. She stared at one place, believing that if she looked anywhere else, her eyes would confirm his words.

King Seto, however, was furious. "How dare you! The moment I get back to the palace I will make sure that you're placed in the dungeon for your insolence..." His angered tone seemed to drift off until it seemed like he was more contemplating his words than expressing them.

"The palace?" Pegasus laughed. "You really believe that you're a King and she a Princess?"

"What else!

Pegasus stood up and walked to the King until they were face to face. Staring into his eyes, there was a brief moment of silence before he spoke, "There is blue blood in _neither _of you."

The King clenched his teeth and fists, attempting to control his rage. Serenity supposed that besides her attitude, he had never been so insulted in his life. He certainly wasn't handling it well, but considering that in the span of a day he had his pride trampled on numerous times, she didn't blame him.

"Mai, we're leaving," King Seto said, stomping to her and proceeding to take her into his arms. She found herself fighting against him, pushing and hitting him while he bit back swears.

"I don't want to! I think he can help me!"

"I think he's insane, now do as you're told! You're in enough trouble already, you insolent little-"

"Stop this immediately!" It was the first time Pegasus raised his voice, causing King Seto and Serenity to pause mid-fight and stare at him in astonishment. The King's body was tense and she knew at any moment he would become volatile once more, but what Pegasus did next froze him into place.

Slowly, he swept back the hair covering his left eye and when he opened it, revealed a pitch black sclera with a blood red iris. Although King Seto willed to tear his gaze away from the ghastly site, he couldn't stop staring at it. It became gradually larger until he was swallowed within it and found himself screaming.

"He cannot breathe!" a woman shrieked, placing a dire emphasis on the last word. "Help him!"

Water everywhere and a burning sensation. There was more screaming and him -helpless.

When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor with Serenity draped over his abdomen. He feared she would be crying but when he attempted to sit up, he realized she was sleeping. Attempting to look around, he found no sign of Pegasus.

The position he was in was currently very uncomfortable, especially considering he was a King and unused to having contact with the floor with body parts other than the soles of his feet. Not to mention the Princess was draped over him and he couldn't feel his legs any longer. Sighing, he propped himself up on his arms and once sitting, took Serenity into his arms. She stirred a bit but didn't awake. He didn't blame her -after all, she had been sleeping in the forest for days.

He blinked then and realized something strange. Serenity was _clean. _Not a single mark of dirt marred her porcelain features and even her wedding gown had returned to its previously immaculate state. Glancing down at himself in a panic, he realized it was the same for him.

Frowning, he suddenly remembered what had happened before he had passed out. He shuddered from remembrance of the warped and grotesque eye, its colors twisted into what could only be a result of Dark Majik. They had to get out of there. It all suddenly began to make sense to him. The man who was found in the forest had to have been a victim of Pegasus.

But then there was the issue of motivation. What had Pegasus done and for what reason? The man was deeply asleep and unable to be awakened...

Seto suddenly froze and stared at the girl in his arms. Without hesitation, he began to slap her lightly on the cheek and shake her shoulder, urging her to wake up in a harsh whisper. When she stirred again and moaned, he felt himself breathe out in relief.

"Mai, we must leave this place," he said, quickly looking over his shoulder in trepidation.

"Why?"

By this point, he had gently pushed her off of him and was smoothly standing up while being discreet and alert. His eyes moved around the room, lit by only the fire dancing within the stone fireplace. Serenity began to stand up as well but paused midway, suddenly remembering her injured ankle. Running her hand down her leg, she lifted the folds of her dress and pressed down on the oddly unmarked area. Nothing. Not a single flash of pain. Carefully, she crawled up and exerted pressure on her foot. Once again, there was nothing.

"Your Majesty, my ankle has been healed..." she said softly, raising her eyes to see his response. His lips remained in their tight line and he shook his head as if disagreeing with the truth.

"It may be a result of the Dark Arts," he said in a harsh whisper, grabbing Serenity by the arm. Startled, she released a soft cry but was instantly silenced by his other hand clamping on her mouth. "Stop being so foolish and listen to what I tell you!"

She willed to protest further but found it fruitless. After nodding her head, the King's cold palm was removed from her mouth and she unknowingly wiped her lips on the ripped sleeve of her gown. He, however, noticed her display and narrowed his eyes in disapproval but said nothing.

Taking her by the hand, he began to lead her out of the cottage but froze when the high-pitched voice of Pegasus reached their ears.

"Be careful out there," he voiced and both were too afraid to look back. "And make sure to bring me something when you return."

In shock of the prediction -no, statement- King Seto darted out of the door with Serenity stumbling behind him. He didn't stop running until they were well within the dank depths of the forest. Serenity wondered whether it was better within the cottage with the peculiar stranger than with the King inside of the forest.

"Who the hell was that man...?" the King seemed to be asking himself, breathing heavily and resting with his hands on his bent knees. Serenity didn't respond, unwilling to challenge the King's belief. Although she found him frightening in a sense, there was also a calm aura around him. She knew he could never inflict harm and that he had healed her leg in an act of altruism. The King, however, could not be moved in his stance. She barely knew him, true, but she knew enough to understand the way his mind worked. He felt that everyone was against him and if someone did something to humiliate him or put him at unease, he would have his revenge.

She had a feeling by the way he was looking at her right now that she his current target for revenge.

"You can stand up perfectly, now?" he demanded, incredulous. Serenity took a step back, clutching onto the folds of her gown.

"I told you, he must have healed my ankle!"

The King paled. "There must be some sort of Dark Art within you. Perhaps you are cursed!" His expression suddenly turned mercifulness. "Now what the hell are we going to do? I'm not bringing you back to the castle in that state!"

"But there's nothing wrong with me!" she pleaded.

"What an ignorant and naive way of thinking! This is all your fault!" In a fury, he turned his back to her and began to walk further into the forest. Serenity could feel her own sense of calmness disappearing in the 'light' of this selfish and arrogant King. Didn't he ever care about anyone other than himself? If it weren't for him, she may have been still in that ditch, but happier than she'd ever been having met him.

"I hate you!" she cried out, expelling all of her frustrations through her vocal chords. It was the first time that the forest didn't swallow up her words and instead, it almost seemed to echo. The King paused, frozen like time had stopped, but then slowly turned around to see Serenity. He was astonished at her confession of hatred but wouldn't allow it to show. His face hardened in response and he walked straight up to her, hoping that his towering over her was enough to intimidate her. She cowered slightly and he could see her trembling as she attempted to keep her stance.

"Well, that's too bad, isn't it?" he snarled, almost wishing to grab her by her long hair and drag her back to the palace. Instead, he stared at her for a while longer before muttering to himself about the stupidity of women and walking away.

"I'm not following you," Serenity announced. He didn't bother to turn around. That spineless little twit was too stupid to make it on her own; after all, he had found her lying helpless in a dirt hole. No, she wouldn't have the guts to leave him and -

A sudden silence broke his thoughts and he turned around.

She was gone.

lxl

"Idiot King, idiot ankle, idiot rose," she was chanting to herself while finding her way through the forest. Really, she found the phrase so despicable 'finding her way'. She certainly wasn't doing that -it was more like she was _losing_ her way through the forest. What she really wanted was to return to Pegasus's cottage but when she had attempted, she had found nothing but a large clearing illuminated by the sun. The scene sent shivers up her spine and quickly she made her distance from it.

It didn't matter now. Pegasus, and the King, were both behind her and she prayed she wouldn't have to encounter those men again. She was grateful, of course, that they both had saved her in their own way, but instead of feeling content, she felt letdown and miserable.

Really, why was it that the damsel was always in distress? She puffed out her cheeks in indignation, hating that she had to be saved by a man, nonetheless the King. It may have been a dream to any other girl, but it was a nightmare to her, solely because she was trying to exert her independence. If she didn't find the Black Rose on her own, what would that make her? Sometimes she felt that if was unfair to Joey that she had been born a female. She was limited in what she could and could not do and thought that Joey spent more time worrying about her than associating with her as a sibling.

"A needle in a hay stack..." she muttered regarding the rose. It truthfully could be anywhere on any surface -what did she expect, a cleared area with holy light streaming through the trees, illuminating the single dark rose breaking through the soil?

It was like a fairy tale.

Shaking her head to rid herself of negative thoughts, Serenity returned to climbing over overgrown roots and untangling her hair from stray branches. She supposed her mind was too focused on avoiding potential limb-breakers because her foot suddenly slid into the ground and when she tried to pull it back up, she fell flat onto her face.

This time, there was no King to save her, but then again, did she really need him? Gritting her teeth in sudden determination, she propped herself up on her hands and began to pull herself forward, hoping the force would free her leg. There was a sucking sound and she glanced back to see her leg covered in black mud.

Moving her body to the side, she curled up and grabbed at the captured leg. Then, she began to pull. When her freedom seemed little achieved, she forced herself to reach out further and clawed the mud away from her foot. The process was grueling, but she refused to give up. However, it was not in vain. Another sound of suction reached her ears and this time, the mud gave way and she scrambled away from the bog, huffing.

If she was having this much trouble being a peasant in a forest, she wondered how the King must have been doing. It was meant to be a vague and fleeting thought, but it remained in her mind when she heard a sudden scurrying behind her. Body frigid, she glanced around wearily, but the noise had stopped.

It could have been anything, she realized, despite feeling relieved. The forest was home to an assortment of beast, harmless and harmful... although she may have been saved thus far from being consumed by a monster, she couldn't say the same for the King. In fact, she needed to know where he was, how he was -hopefully alive.

Suddenly worried, Serenity turned on her heels and attempted to trace her steps to where she had been with the King before they had parted. Unfortunately, the forest had no distinguishing features and she felt that after a while, she was walking in no particular direction.

It would have been easy for her to simply continue on her way and forget about him, but she couldn't. She knew he didn't care about her, but she could never match his heartlessness. He was a solitary man lost in the forest, and as a King, she had a feeling that putting him in the depths of nature was like tossing a bird into the ocean. It simply didn't work.

She walked cautiously in the direction she believed she had come from. When nothing seemed familiar, she began to walk faster. Her step transgressed into a light job and finally evolved into a run. Unfortunately, her mind was so confused with her surroundings that she miscalculated the jump needed to avoid an overgrown tree-root and fell flat onto her face.

Dusting herself off, Serenity realized that what she really needed was rest and a bath. There was, however, a slight problem considering that she was within a dark and unpleasant forest. Any river running through it would probably be as dirty and molding as the forest itself, and it made her gag with the thought. She could imagine placing a foot within the putrid waters and feeling something slimy nestle itself between her toes...

Shuddering, she shook herself slightly to rid of the thought. Maybe being dusty wasn't such a bad thing, after all. However, that conclusion didn't seem quite accepted within her subconscious. Thus, she unknowingly grumbled and continued on a path with no destination.

She was taking a break after wandering aimlessly for a while when she heard it. Water, streaming from an unknown destination. Excited, she traced the sound a few feet further and saw a small river, no wider than 4 meters. The water appeared like it was pitch black and she was almost afraid to touch it.

Kneeling down, she was examining the water, occasionally putting her finger into the cold depths of it, when a loud creaking sound caused her to turn around instinctively. She understood what had happened even before the sound of branches and leaves rustling and being snapped apart reached her ears and without realizing it, she fell backward and into the river.

lxl

The King swatted away another branch and cursed when his tunic was once again snagged on a twig. Jerking his shoulder away, there was a small ripping sound and he growled after examining the tear. By now, he probably looked as degrading as Mai when he had found her. He had a slight amount of sympathy for her, but only slight. After all, she had been the fool to get him into this mess and there was a miniscule part of him that that wondered whether he would be able to get out.

Really, that girl was so naive, believing she could survive in this forest on her own. She probably looked mighty tasty to the monsters of the forest -he just hoped he didn't come across her carcass.

After days and nights of attempting to find his way out and contemplating, King Seto had decided he wanted nothing to do with Mai. She was far too much trouble to bother with and because of her, his clothes were ruined. Then again, could he really risk going back to the palace wifeless? Even if he passed Mai off as dead, there was always the slight possibility she could come back alive. The humiliation would be insurmountable. He couldn't risk it -he had no choice but to find the rambunctious, idealistic, mad woman.

In his twenty years, he had never heard of a woman who would suffer through so much to save the life of someone she loved. He could only wonder what had happened to this significant other of hers and, partly, the identity of this person. What could be hidden in a forest that could save one's life? He could only bring to mind the Black Rose, but honestly, could Mai be fool enough to believe she could find it, nonetheless bring it back alive?

The Rose relied on a process of equivalent trade, which was how it managed to be reborn after being plucked once. Surely, everyone knew that once torn from the ground, the Black Rose would cause the person to-

His thoughts came to a halt when the sound of rushing water entered his ears. His body naturally jerked to the direction of the sound and he hesitated for a moment before running toward it.

There, several feet from where he had been journeying, lay a gratuitous and sparking wall fall, pouring into a large rounded pool of water. As he approached it, he couldn't help but to marvel at its beauty, the water twinkling in the moonlight to he had grown unaccustomed. He found himself shielding his eyes from the glowing moon above as he tilted his head back to observe the sky. Stars dazzled the blackness and when he glanced down at the water, the moonlight cast a silvery touch to its seeming black hue.

Having never encountered any bodies of water outside of the palace, he knelt down and dipped his hand into the liquid. The coldness caused him to snap his back but when he glanced at his wet palm, he almost anticipated the residue to be black. Instead, it was completely translucent. Inwardly, he chastised himself for believed for a moment that the water was enchanted. Had it been, it was no reason to become intrigued and even, for a slight moment, excited.

He rubbed his fingers together and noting that his previously peach skin was uncovered from the dirt, he decided he would have no choice but to bathe within the water. Remaining filthy was certainly not a favorable option and he supposed that if he followed the small river that ran from the pool of water, he would come across civilization and soon would return home.

Shedding his clothing, he stepped onto the bank and attempted not to grimace when his feet, now calloused and bruised, sunk into the mud. However, unable to take standing exposed and venerable, he slowly descended into the water, ignoring the chill that coursed through his body.

Dipping his head into the water, he ran his fingers through his hair and wondered why the water was so unpolluted. He couldn't even see any signs of insects or fish -not that he particularly wanted to. Having been raised as a Prince, he liked his fish dead and insects non-existent.

After deciding he was cleansed, he was prepared to leave when what appeared like a small log descended from the waterfall and crashed into the water below. He would have ignored it had it not been for the hand that broke out of the water second later and shocked, Seto found himself backing up, to his chagrin.

With the first hand came a head and then the log, animal, mermaid (?) simply _lay_ there. From what he could see, whiteness flowed from the creature like mythical wings but when he noticed a splash of redness spreading out like fire, he realized that it was _human_. Before he could fully comprehend what had happened to this person, the body began to sink, crumbling from the middle and descending into the darkness below.

Unable to stand around idly, the King leapt forward and plunged deeper into the water. He struggled slightly to prevent himself from sinking but soon remembrance of years-old tactics returned to him and he naturally tread the water.

There were still bubbles surfacing from the area the person had sunk beneath and when reaching it, he plunged down further, his palms together and streaming forward. In the blackness, he couldn't see anything and panicked when his breath became short. However, he refused to allow himself to give up. If people gave up, then perhaps he wouldn't be alive right now.

The opal hint of flesh caught his attention and forcing himself, he reached out and tried to grasp the limb. There were several failures at his attempt but he finally managed to grasp the wrist of the individual.

Easily, he swam up and somewhat selfishly, took a deep gulp of air before attending to the person he was clasping around the waist.

Instantly, he started, almost dropping her in the process.

"You idiot," he muttered, lightly grasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger and attempting to summon a sign of life within her. Her skin was deathly pale, completely drained of blood and containing hints of light blue around the lips and near her temples.

Quickly, King Seto swam to land and placed her on the ground. He could feel himself shaking as he placed a hand to her chest to feel the beat of her heart and when there was nothing, he grasped her by the shoulders.

"Mai! _Mai!_" he cried out, as if his voice could return her soul from the dead. Her head simply lolled back like a doll's. Suddenly, the horrid dream that had infected his mind by Pegasus returned to him. Consumed by fear, the King lifted her up by the waist and then draped her over his shoulder, planning to seek Pegasus's cottage (if any help for that matter) with her on his back. If that man knew Majik, then he certainly would have the capability to bring the Princess back to life. He would make sure of it.

He was heading to the direction where his clothes lay (he did have a sense of decency, which unfortunately did take precedence over Mai's well-being) when there was an undetected coughing.

Serenity had awoken, the water driven from her lungs from her vertical, upside-down positioning. Through some more violent coughs, more water was expelled and she wondered where she was. Opening her eyes fully, she was greeted with the rear-end of an individual, which promptly caused her to start screaming.

King Seto, realizing the horrific scene that was unfolding, dropped Serenity on her head and dashed toward his clothing and then into the forest. Luckily for both of them, Serenity hadn't seen anything else, having been nursing the head she had been dropped on. A few moments later, the King emerged, dressed up to his waist and carrying his tunic.

"How the hell did you end up where you were?" he demanded, tossing the tunic to her. It fell onto her lap and her hands unconsciously clutched it. "I feared you had perished."

"...You saved me...?" Serenity breathlessly asked, staring at him with a dazed bewilderment.

"Who else?"

Instantly, she flushed crimson, remembering what she had seen when her eyes had opened. Unable to stand the truth, she buried her face into the tunic, uncertain when she could have the courage to lift her head again. The King merely snorted at her actions, folding his arms and casting her a look of disdain.

"How long are you going to sit there?" he demanded. "Put on the tunic and then let us be going."

_How easily he forgets our dispute..._Serenity thought, standing up slowly. When she looked at the King, she noticed his eyes move down her body and then his cheeks turned red before he scoffed and turned his head the other way. Wondering what had caused his discomfort, Serenity glanced down and realized her gown had been completely soaked through and the fabric had become transparent. She released a strangled gasp and in a similar fashion to the King, dashed into the forest.

As much as she hated it, she rid of her gown and slipped into the tunic, which was only slightly too large for her. The hem luckily reached down a few inches above her knees and when she tightened the chord around her waist, she had a scantily dress that would cause anyone to blush.

Stepping out, she hid partially behind a tree, feeling tears of embarrassment grace her eyes. How could she possibly go on like this? No one had seen her legs, especially to _this _extent! She pulled at the bottom of the tunic, only resulting in the neckline moving further down. It didn't help that the King was bare to the waist -she had never seen a man's uncovered chest before and knew that their current states were wrong and examples of indecency.

"I cannot do this!" she cried out, sitting on the ground and using the bottom of the tunic to cover her drawn-up legs. There was rustling and crunching of branches as the King made his way to her and she cried out when he grabbed her wrist and forced her to her feet. Startled, she fell against him and then struggled to free herself from his grasp. Strange flashes of heat and jolts ran through her body when her hands fell against his bare chest and she squeezed her eyes tightly, wondering what was wrong with her.

"Stop this at once, Mai," he demanded in a stony tone. "There is no one here to snatch your pride from you."

"But you-"

"I hardly care."

He remained true to his words. While they walked, he didn't look at her, although she kept stealing glances at him (her eyes notably remaining on his face). His expression was continually stagnant and she wondered what he thought about and whether his cerulean eyes ever became vibrant. Smiling, she concluded that if he ever smiled, it would be beautiful. He was a fine featured man, blessed with a beautiful mother's looks, and she had a feeling that although he tried to put up an act of being a hostile monarch, he was actually a very kind hearted man.

"What is it?" he suddenly asked, finally looking at her.

Caught off guard, Serenity missed the tree in front of her and would have smacked into it had it not been for the King stretching out his arm and stopping her by the neck.

"You're clumsy," he stated, his mouth never bearing a trace of emotion. Serenity blushed, yet found herself smiling and she gave a nervous laugh.

"Not like a Princess, right?"

Seto contemplated for a moment before shrugging lightly. "If you believe that is what a Princess shouldn't be."

"What do you believe a Princess should be?" she asked, slightly wearily; however, her curiosity burned within her and suddenly, she forgot about everything they had been through and would encounter. This man fascinated her -he represented the life she should have never known, and yet... he seemed less simulated and more... real.

Real. Of course, what had he been before? Someone she could look at, talk to, but never touch. But when their flesh met, he was warm and she wished he would encase her within his arms.

She stopped walking suddenly with the thought and it was then that the King answered her question.

"A Princess should be human," he stated, turning around and not surprised to see Serenity stagnant. "Not trained by nurses and tutors to speak like a book, but with her own thoughts and ungoverned by anyone else."

"Of course..." Serenity found herself saying, trying to fight the feelings of hope and something else that had bubbled within her. It caused her heart to pound and face to flush, and suddenly, she couldn't think straight.

King Seto had to be a brother figure for her, she told herself, staring at the King's vacant countenance. He saved her, he looked out for her; therefore, he was nothing more. The reason she felt so strange was because they weren't blood related, not to mention that she was duping him.

"Are you ill?" he asked and she shook her head. Before she realized what she was saying, her thoughts escaped through her mouth, "Do you love me?"

There was no hesitation on the King's part. "No."

His answer should have placed relief within her, but instead she fell into further distress. She couldn't continue this charade any longer. This man didn't love her, and yet he was forcing himself to suffer on her part because he believed she was Princess Mai. She simply couldn't do this to him.

"There is something I must... I must tell you..." Serenity said, her voice breaking as her eyes filled with tears. The back of her throat was suddenly constricted with fear and she couldn't stop trembling. The King looked down at her, hardly moved by her emotional distress.

"Yes?"

She caught his gaze with her own, his eyes seeming darker than usual. "I'm not who you think I am."

His eyes narrowed; now they had become black pits. He stood silent, waiting for her to continue.

After taking in a few deep breaths, she clasped her hands together and prayed silently to God to let her live long enough to save her brother and Mai. She would die soon after, anyway.

"I'm not... I'm not..."

She was, however, cut off by the King's eyes widening and he hurried to her. Placing his hand over her mouth, King Seto wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and drew her close to his body.

"Shut up," he hissed. "There's someone here."

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_a/n: Damn, my eyes hurt. This chapter was certainly longer than the rest, mainly because I'm finally getting into the main premise of the plot. So, how badly do you guys want the next chapter...? Am I actually going anywhere with this? Should I rather spend my time studying/sleeping/socializing/gaming? The call is yours. Just click that rectangular button down there. Btw, two extra notes: thank Gackt for this chapter. His godly appearance inspired me to finish it -and** check out my profile**. If you haven't heard, we're hosting a certain contest..._

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